Julia’s Story
Julia loves thousand-piece jigsaw puzzles. And she finishes them, fast.
While Julia has difficulty with expressive language, a common challenge for people with autism, her visual comprehension is exceptional. When she joined PASS in 2012, the team was awed by Julia’s strong visual recall.
“We thought maybe this could translate into work for her one day,” explains Karin Terado, Head of Programs at PASS.
Through a growing network of employment partners, the team at PASS eventually connected with Dr. Stacy Sprague, Executive Director of Safety, Health & Wellness at Vancouver Coastal Health.
Dr. Sprague was looking for office and administrative support, and was interested in creating an opportunity for a PASS member. After learning about the need, Julia and her unique skill set instantly came to mind.
Julia began volunteering with Vancouver Coastal Health in November 2013. Her role was to begin digitizing thousands of hard copy files. The process involved over a hundred steps, a complex sequence requiring the highest level of accuracy.
“It was our hope that Julia would be able to acquire the skills needed to do the job over the course of a year,” Dr. Sprague explains. “But she exceeded all of our expectations and was able to learn it within months.”
“Julia shows us daily that disability does not define who we are and must not limit our opportunities.”
Julia was soon completing two months’ worth of work in about a week. “She was so fast and accurate, the staff were finding it hard to keep up with her!”
The team at Vancouver Coastal Health were so impressed by Julia’s competence that she was eventually moved into a paid position. In her new role, Julia was able to take on additional responsibilities in the office, like transcribing meeting minutes.
“To date Julia has pulled 4,079 files, prepped 5,884 files, sorted 1,932 files and scanned 5,971 files,” says Dr. Sprague. “Julia has been a huge asset to our organization over the past seven years. The joy she takes in her work, the skills she brings, her determination to succeed and positive attitude make her a highly valued member of our staff.”
Irene, Julia’s mom, couldn’t be more proud of her daughter. “It kind of amazes me to see how Julia has embraced her work. You can see the confidence in her. She loves doing it.”
“The team at PASS discovered a way for her,” says Irene. “They recognized her wonderful memory abilities and her keenness on the computer and put it all together.”
“PASS and Vancouver Coastal Health are amazing partners in Julia's personal development and her happiness brings joy to our family.”