However the Disability Royal Commission has found that out of 485,000 people employed by Australia’s leading companies, only 1.15 per cent identified as living with disability.
One of the challenges faced by people with disability looking for work is just knowing where to start, according to Afford’s Disability Employment Service (DES) in Bankstown.
“Our service supports individuals to develop their skills and learn more about what they want to get out of a job,” Afford DES Bankstown team leader Layla Naji said.
“While many employers may be willing to employ an individual with a disability, they also need education and support to realise the positive benefits.
“By focussing on matching a role to a person’s abilities, employers will realise that tasks are completed with greater precision and more efficiently.”
From a business perspective, government support is available for businesses employing people with disability, which is based on the employee’s age, award rate and hours worked.
Syrian refugee Lina arrived in Australia five years ago. She became a job seeker with Afford Bankstown in February 2021 and has now landed her dream job.
“Our Business Development Consultant, Aida, supported Lina by taking her to job interviews highlighting her unique skill set,” Layla said.
“From these experiences, Lina was offered a job with Kanz Homewares as a sales assistant.
“When Lina came to us at Afford, she had a great attitude but wasn’t sure what she wanted to do for work. We helped her identify her strengths and interests, then we designed an individualised pathway plan for her.”
For more info, go to afford.com.au or call 9707 0600.
