CanWork

Support app for employment

CanWork was developed by CanAssist at the University of Victoria. It promotes independence and builds confidence by helping people with cognitive challenges complete work-related tasks successfully. Virtually any task can be broken into a sequence of easy-to-follow steps. For a given task, a user might initially goes through the activity with a support person or family member. Together, they may take photos of each step in the task. Notifications ensure each work shift is brought to the user's attention in a timely manner.

*** WHO IS IT FOR? ***

CanWork is especially beneficial to people who have difficulty performing activities that require following a sequence of steps, including those with:

- Brain injury

- Autism Spectrum Disorder

- Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder

- Developmental disabilities

- Dyslexia, literacy challenges, etc.

*** KEY FEATURES ***

- Schedule shifts: once scheduled, the app shows the current or upcoming shift on launch

- Receive notifications: the user is notified the day before a shift, 30 minutes before a shift starts, and 10 minutes before a shift ends

- Comprehensive support: tasks include day-before and same-day preparation, as well as work tasks proper

- Task sequencing: break each task into an easy-to-follow sequence of steps with optional photos

- Contact helpers: call or SMS caregivers, job coaches, or colleagues within the app

*** PERMISSIONS ***

- CALL_PHONE and SEND_SMS are required for contacting helpers within the app.

- RECEIVE_BOOT_COMPLETED is required for shift notifications to persist after re-booting the device.

*** CANASSIST at the UNIVERSITY OF VICTORIA ***

CanAssist at the University of Victoria is dedicated to developing customized technologies for people with disabilities. While most CanAssist programs focus on clients in British Columbia, Canada, CanAssist has recently begun making its assistive software technologies more widely available.