Promoting Your Ability
Sarina Russo Job Access provides job-ready rehabilitation programs for people with a disability or health problems.
Disability Employment Services (PDF)
Sarina Russo Disability Employment Services will:
- Identify your skills, abilities & employment goals
- Develop an individual plan to achieve your goals
- Match your skills to suitable employment opportunities
- Market you directly to employers
- Find work Experience Placements and voluntary work
- Provide you with suitable support, training and workplace modifications to be successful in your job search and employment placement.
For more information please go to www.jobaccess.gov.au
Disability is the New Green
Caroline Casey, CEO Kanchi, addressed delegates at the 2011 Clinton Global Initiative and proudly claimed 'Being different is the best thing about me'
Extract of Caroline Casey's address to Clinton Global Initiative
"Several months ago, the World Health Organisation released a report about the most marginalised billion people. This billion is often invisible in high-profile settings.
I am one of those billion. Instead of getting my license at 17, I got a label: legally blind. I have 10% of my vision. I did not want that label; I wanted to be normal.
So I chose to be someone else, calm on the outside and paddling like crazy underneath. I got through business school and got a good job. Then I lost my vision temporarily. I was exposed. I ran away, and I started to learn about disability.
- 78% of disabled people are unemployed.
- 80% of children with disabilities do not receive a formal education.
Kanchi was founded to get the elephant of disability out of the room. Why is disability invisible? It is complex, varied, and stigmatized, even though we each know someone living with a disability.
There is a need to move from charity and dependency to recognizing value. There is a need to include the most powerful agents of change: business. Businesses can be engaged by speaking business' language.
Making the case:
- Market: 1 billion people! 3.3 trillion spending power in US alone.
- Talent: if you employ people with different skills, you attract the best.
- Retention: 85% of disabilities are acquired in one's working lifetime - people already employed are becoming disabled. How do you keep them?
- People are disabled in communities served by all businesses.
Kanchi's initiative is the Ability Business Awards. Kanchi provides excellent communication to its business partners: the impact of what you are doing and what works elsewhere. 400 companies are affiliated, and 70% of companies have changed their procedures.
From here: Imagine if there were 10,000 companies engaged. The goal is to allow everyone to be themselves all the time, not to be scared to say "I can't see" or to apply for a job.
Go to 35 minutes 45 seconds in the video to hear Caroline speak.
Why not you?
Why not now?
Call 13 15 59
Focusing On Ability Over Disability - A Blooming Success
ProteaFlora Nursery, a local business suppling proteas flowers to nurseries, garden centres and cut flower growers across Australia and overseas, has put the abilities of new employee Robert Hudd ahead of his disability.
ProteaFlora Nursery manager, Mrs Ilse Matthews said Robert is the first person with a disability we have employed. We've been so impressed with his commitment and work ethic that he won't be the last.
"Robert's got a gregarious personality and even with his hearing impairment he has fitted in extremely well with the team at ProteaFlora Nursery," Ms Matthews said.
Mr Hudd said he was determined to overcome his hearing impairment and prove his abilities as a productive worker.
"I had a great passion to work with people but my hearing problem was a hurdle that was too big for some employers to overcome.
"I turned to Sarina Job Access Lillydale to assist me in developing the skills required to re-enter the workforce," Mr Hudd said.
Sarina Russo Job Access Lillydale recognised Mr Hudd's abilities and felt his skills were the right match for the ProteaFlora Nursery.
To assist Robert make the successful transition to work Sarina Russo Job Access Lilydale purchased an new hearing aide for him which has made a huge difference in Robert's ability to interact with people.
Sarina Russo Job Access Lillydale is a leader in placing people with a disability into employment because we assess the person based on their ability not their disability..
Mrs Matthews said Robert's disability did not faze us, he explained that his disability would have no impact upon the position and we felt he was capable to take on the workload and his enthusiasm is very impressive.
"I am so glad that we saw Robert's potential and realised his ability - he has become a great asset to our business," Mrs Matthews said.
Mr Hudd said he is excited to work for a company where he helps grow beautiful flowers which are supplied to nurseries and garden centres throughout Australia and across the world.
"I'm so thankful to Sarina Russo Job Access Lillydale and ProteaFlora Nursery for believing in me," Mr Hudd said.
