Barriers to Access: How “Jumping Through Hoops” Is Inaccessible

Written by Margaux Wosk, Artist & Human Rights Advocate, Owner @ Retrophiliac May 21, 2025

As a self-employed, Autistic individual, I’ve found it incredibly difficult to navigate the current economic challenges we’re facing. Between the ongoing impact of tariffs and the uncertainty with Canada Post, my financial stability isn’t what it used to be. I decided it might be time to look for a small amount of part-time work to help supplement my income.

I started looking into employment programs like Ready, Willing and Able (RWA). When I visited their website, I quickly realized how hard it was to find the information I needed. The content seemed focused more on employers than on people like me who are actually looking for support. This is something I’ve noticed often in spaces that claim to support disabled or neurodivergent people. The spotlight always seems to be on how the employer benefits. Very little is said about how we, the disabled individuals, are supported.

To me, this creates a sense of hierarchy. It centers the employer as the one deserving of help and paints us as an afterthought. As someone who enjoys working for myself and being a leader, that kind of dynamic feels dismissive and ableist. It’s disheartening, but I still tried to engage with the program.

That’s when more barriers started to show up.

I learned that RWA is affiliated with Community Living BC. I was told that in order to access the program, I needed to be part of something called “FSS.” No one gave me the full name of the program, which I believe stands for “Family Support Services,” though I couldn’t confirm this because searching for FSS on their website led nowhere. Even more frustrating, I was informed that the program is currently full. So without being part of FSS, I can’t access RWA at all.

In other words, I hit a wall.

This made me wonder. If I, someone with lived experience and a solid understanding of how these systems are supposed to work, am facing this much difficulty, how many others are going through the same thing? This isn’t a personal problem. It’s a structural one.

I’ve also tried to find support through Community Futures BC as part of my self-employment journey, but I ran into similar issues. I had a Zoom meeting with one of their staff and shared that I don’t learn well through online group sessions or pre-recorded videos. I also brought up how “inclusive employment” programs often ignore or completely exclude self-employment. That’s something I’ve been pushing back against for years.

The response I got was disappointing. The staff member said, “You know I can’t discuss those things, right?” with no further explanation. I reached out to someone higher up, hoping to talk more about this, but the meeting I requested never happened.

Previously, when I was enrolled in the program and assigned a coach, the plan was to teach me how to manage my business finances. But I have multiple learning disabilities. What I really needed was financial support to hire someone who could help me with taxes, reports, and bookkeeping. I didn’t need to be taught how to do it myself. I needed access to the right kind of support.

Despite all my efforts to keep myself afloat, I continue to be met with roadblocks. There is a serious lack of understanding about cognitive disabilities. There’s a lack of flexibility. There’s a lack of action. And, too often, it feels like I’m expected to prove that I’m “disabled enough” just to qualify for support. That assumption is harmful. It promotes the idea that there’s only one kind of Autistic person. But autism doesn’t work like that. It’s not a straight line. Support needs exist across a wide and diverse spectrum.

My frustration is valid, and my search for better support is ongoing. Disabled people deserve more. We deserve meaningful inclusion. We deserve to be consulted when these programs are designed and funded. We deserve access without needing to constantly jump through hoops.

What exists right now is simply not enough.