March 2014 Newsletter
Looking for inspiration?
The Winter Paralympic Games were held earlier this month in Sochi. As we reflect on the athletes’
achievements that made the Games such a success, I am reminded of the wonderful ad Team
Great Britain created for the 2012 London Paralympic Games.
If you haven’t seen this, it’s aptly named ‘Meet the Superhumans’ and if you’re looking for a dash
of inspiration (or are looking for a tool to raise disability awareness in your organisation), you can
watch it online (www.youtube.com/watch?v=kKTamH__xuQ).
I have had the opportunity to share this great video with numerous employers since its release
and it never fails to reach people in a very powerful way.
Kind regards, Lucy Macali, General Manager, NDRC
Latest NDRC news
‘GETTING TO YES’ – A FULL HOUSE!
We have been overwhelmed by the wonderful response to our next ‘Getting to Yes’ breakfast
seminar on disability and employment.
The seminar will be held Melbourne in less than two weeks and we are now at capacity (a
great problem to have we say!).
We very much look forward to seeing many of our Melbourne-based partners, prospective
partners and friends on Wednesday 9 April.
For those of you who missed out on a place in Melbourne but would like to discuss how the
NDRC may be able to be of assistance, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us at
mailto:gettingtoyes.ndrc@workfocus.com.
For those of you in other states, stay tuned for news of when ‘Getting to Yes’ is headed your
way.
Job in Jeopardy – providing a business solution to a
real problem
According to research conducted by the National Mental Health Commission in 2013
(www.mentalhealthcommission.gov.au/media/63652/Agenda%20paper%207%20%20Workplace%20and%20Mental%20Health.pdf), mental health now exceeds physical injury as
the reason for increased work absences.
With 3.2 days per worker lost each year through workplace stress, businesses lose over $6.5
billion each year by failing to provide early intervention and support for employees with
mental health conditions.
Job in Jeopardy (JiJ) Assistance is a service aimed at helping people with disability, injury or
health conditions remain at work with their current employer through the development of
early intervention strategies.
The intent of JiJ Assistance is to enable employers and their employees to work with
Disability Employment Service providers (DES) to implement strategies and supports, such
as reducing hours of work or changing job roles to sustain employment and maximise
participation at work. JiJ Assistance is not intended to help people find employment with a
new employer.
Employers work with the DES provider to help ensure there is capacity for the employee to
continue working. This is often about understanding the employee’s circumstances and
making reasonable adjustments so inherent requirements can still be met.
JiJ Assistance is fully funded by the Australian Government. Employers can receive on-thejob support to make reasonable adjustments, including the provision of work-related
equipment or work site modifications. Support can also take the form of redesigning jobs or
functions to ensure employees remain with their employer, even if this means transitioning
to a different role. Most importantly, an employer will receive expert assistance and a
‘sounding board’ from providers experienced in supporting employers and employees with
disability.
Employers can choose their preferred DES provider to deliver JiJ Assistance. It is important
to note that the service is not available for all employees – it is targeted to people whose
disability, injury or health condition is impacting on their ongoing employment, particularly
in meeting inherent requirements of their role.
For more information go to the JobAccess website (www.jobaccess.gov.au).
With thanks to Disability Employment Australia
Blind ambition
Those of you who joined us at ‘Getting to Yes’ in Sydney last year would remember being
entertained by panellist Nick Gleeson.
Nick is once again challenging stereotypes as he competes in a field of 50 runners in an Ultra
Distance 24 hour running event on 5-6 April in Melbourne as the only athlete with disability.
As a blind runner, Nick will be accompanied by two running guides taking turns to guide him
over the 130 kilometre trail. Nick is doing all of this as ambassador for Sanctuary108, an
organisation that raises awareness about depression.
To see Nick in action and training with the Parramatta Eel’s Fuifui Moimoi watch the video
of his presentation at the launch of Sanctuary108 last year
(www.youtube.com/watch?v=FpoI6Lbt150&feature=youtu.be).
Working with the NDRC
EMPLOYERS BUILDING THEIR DISABILITY CONFIDENCE AND COMPETENCE
When it comes to building Australian businesses’ disability confidence, the NDRC team
firmly believes the more the merrier! 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,
please drop us a line at mailto:gettingtoyes.ndrc@workfocus.com.
Real stories
TOP TIPS ON BUILDING DISABILITY CONFIDENCE – STRAIGHT FROM THE SOURCE
Carolyn Campbell-McLean is no stranger to the occasional faux pas when it comes to her disability.
One of her favourite stories is when she arrived for a meeting to find one of the attendees
rushing over to point out where the accessible toilets were.
“Hi, my name is Carolyn. How are you?” she responded.
That was just one of the illuminating stories Carolyn told the attendees the NDRC’s ‘Getting
to Yes’ seminar in Sydney last year.
Now working as a disability training and communications consultant and with over 17 years
of experience in community education and staff learning development, Carolyn knows a
thing or two about building disability confidence.
Read about her story and her top five tips for employers on the NDRC website
(www.jobaccess.gov.au/content/building-disability-confidence-one-employer-time).
Hints and tips
JARGON BUSTING – INHERENT REQUIREMENTS
Vacancies in your organisation often provide an opportunity to consider what the real
requirements of the workplace are – as opposed to a list of selection criteria that may not
necessarily relate to what you actually need the role to achieve.
These are referred to as the ‘inherent requirements’ or more simply, job essentials.
Inherent requirements are the tasks that must be carried out in order to get the job done.
This means when developing job descriptions try and focus on what is to be achieved in the
job rather than how it is to be achieved.
For example, instead of adopting ‘minimum typing speed’ as a selection criterion, consider
using ‘produce quality documents using a word processing package’.
Not all tasks within a job description are inherent requirements. For example, an
employee’s role includes recording meeting minutes. The employee has a physical disability
that prevents him from taking shorthand but he is able to record the meeting electronically
and complete minutes at a later date. Taking shorthand is not an inherent requirement of
the job whereas taking minutes is. The employee can meet the inherent requirements using
a flexible approach to the job.
Having this type of information readily available to prospective candidates (with or without
disability) can support them in working out if the role is of interest to them and whether
they have the skills and experience required in order to do the job well. It will also allow
you to assess their suitability for the role in a fair and equitable way.