May 2014 Newsletter
Challenging employer expectations of people with
disability
“Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.” Arthur Ashe
Arthur Ashe’s achievements go beyond the tennis court and his words resonate with the goals of
the NDRC program. He was a conscientious leader and advocate for change and used his success
and status as a public personality to dismantle the barriers of poverty, privilege, racism and social
stereotyping around the world in the 1980s. If you aren’t familiar with Ashe’s story, I’d encourage
you to find out more.
The journey to opening up recruitment practices for people with disability can vary – some of you
may be further down the track than others. Changes to culture and policies don’t happen
overnight. There’s no need to overhaul everything immediately - it’s a gradual process where good
practice inspires more good practice and the key to success is getting started.
We ask you to do what you can to embed change and seek new opportunities to improve the
levels of employment for people with disability within your organisation. I hope this month’s news
provides some assistance and encouragement.
Kind regards, Lucy Macali, General Manager, NDRC
Latest NDRC news
BREWING SUCCESS FOR PEOPLE WITH MENTAL ILLNESS
“We don’t employ people to make coffee, we make coffee to employ people.”
MadCap Café is a great example of an employer who has said ‘yes’ to employing people with
disability, demonstrating that those with or recovering from mental illness can do great
work and at the same time have the knowledge and experience that employers are looking
for.
MadCap Café opened its doors onsite at Masters Home Improvement’s Hawthorn store
earlier in May. MadCap Café supports people experiencing mental illness who want to
enter, or re-enter, the workforce by providing them with employment opportunities to
develop important workplace skills - including how to make a great coffee (crucial in
Melbourne!)
Mental illness can mask a person’s abilities and may be accompanied by anxiety and a
diminished sense of self-worth. While recovery is rarely straightforward, Madcap Cafés
provide employees with opportunities to learn and master the social and job skills that
promote competence and self-confidence that ultimately lead to the jobs they want.
For more information, including contact details and store locations, visit the Madcap Café
website (www.madcapcafe.org).
Vision Australia helping Chris find his calling
As part of our ongoing commitment to showcasing real workplace stories and the partnerships
that underpin them, we are sharing videos from Disability Employment Service providers on the
work their work with employers and people with disability.
This month, we look at how Vision Australia supported Christopher, who has been blind
since birth, in a call centre associate role at Dun and Bradstreet.
Vision Australia’s Disability Employment Service provided help throughout his application
and interview process and tailored the support at work to suit his needs and ensure he
performs at his best.
You can watch the video on Vision Australia’s employment case studies page
(www.visionaustralia.org/business-and-professionals/employer-support-and-recruitmentservices/employment-case-studies/administration-employment).
Nick running and looking straight ahead guided by his running guide.
(Ultra) Marathon man
You may remember our short piece on Nick Gleeson, one of our ‘Getting to Yes’ employer seminar
panellists who recently signed up to take part in a Ultra Distance 24 hour running event.
We are very pleased to advise that Nick made it! As the only blind runner in the event (and
battling a swollen ankle), Nick successfully completed the gruelling event with the assistance
of his running guides – a fantastic accomplishment indeed!
“The swelling in my ankle was incredible. It made it a greater challenge but the reward of
finishing was even better” said Nick.
Working with the NDRC
If you would like to join our growing list of partners and ensure you are accessing the
broader talent pool that people with disability represents,
mailto:gettingtoyes.ndrc@workfocus.com or call JobAccess on 1800 464 800.
Give us your jobs
Do you know about the NDRC’s Vacancy Development and Distribution Service?
The NDRC can promote your opportunity to a national network of Disability Employment
Services reaching over 150,000 job-ready candidates with a broad range of interests, skills
and experience.
By sharing your vacancy with the NDRC, you broaden the talent pool of candidates to be
considered for your roles.
You also create real opportunities for people who want to be judged on their merits, but
may struggle to get that initial ‘fair go’ in the recruitment process.
Contact your NDRC Account Manager via mailto:gettingtoyes.ndrc@workfocus.com if you
would like to get started!
Real stories
A JOB ON THE (BLUE) LINE
BlueLine Employment, a Disability Employment Service provider based in Tasmania, has been
successfully supporting people with disability in gaining and maintaining employment over 17
years.
One such success story is the placement of Lee at Montagu Community Living in Hobart.
After meeting at a networking event, Mary from Montagu Community Living called Anjie, a
consultant at BlueLine Employment, to assist her in filling an administration position. Lee
had extensive administration experience and sprung to Anjie’s mind as a potential candidate
for the role.
An interview was set up at Montagu Community Living, followed up by a work experience
placement. Not only did this give the employer an opportunity to get to know Lee, it was
also a chance for Lee to ensure that the job was right for her and that the workplace met
her mobility needs.
Work experience was successful and Lee secured the role. An on-job assessment was
undertaken and modifications were made to the workplace to ensure that it was accessible
– all of this was coordinated by BlueLine Employment and funded through JobAccess and
the Australian Government’s Employment Assistance Fund. Montagu Community Living was
also eligible for a Wage Connect Subsidy, which helped offset any additional training costs.
A year down the track, Lee continues to develop her skills and build her career. Both Lee
and Montagu Community Living receive ongoing support from BlueLine Employment which
oversees this successful working relationship.
Tips and hints
5 TIPS TO IMPROVE YOUR WEBSITE’S ACCESSIBILITY
As websites continue to be more visually appealing and interactive, one element that is
sometimes ignored by businesses is the accessibility of their websites for people with disability.
Here are a few tips to consider when putting together (or updating) your websites:
Is your font size too small?
What may be visually appealing and engaging web design may actually detract from the
accessibility of the website for people with impaired vision. Some sites use a smaller font
size (either for aesthetics or due to the page being designed on a larger monitor) and this
can make the content – usually the most important part of the page – very difficult to read.
Avoid low contrast colours
On a similar note, colour contrast also plays a role in readability. White text on a grey
background isn’t going to stand out much and may be difficult to read. A high contrast
between the colours (black text on white background) will make a significant improvement
in making the content legible.
Make sure your images have ALT tags
Screen readers cannot ‘read’ images and provide a description of it. In order for your images
and photos to be meaningful to a person using a screen reader, you need to add description
tags, or ‘ALT’ tags to those images which is basically a short description of the image.
Label your links properly
Links should always make sense when read on their own. Links that include URLs in the text
or simply read as ‘click here’ or ‘read more’ don't make sense when taken out of context, or
when being read by screen readers.
Can you navigate it with just a keyboard?
Some users may access your website using just a keyboard without a mouse. It’s important
to make sure your website is built to work with just a keyboard in addition to a keyboard
and mouse.