Leigh, who has Asperger’s syndrome (a form of autism), is proof that employing people with disability can be good for your business.
Leigh was selected through a merit-based process for an entry level position at Centrelink. His job involves attention to detail as he reviews data to ensure that Centrelink customers are getting the correct payments. His ability to remember small details makes him perfect for the job.
‘I call myself the walking talking postcode directory’, laughs Leigh.
‘At one point Leigh was required to follow up around 36 000 files. I could ask him a question about a file he handled a week ago and he knew exactly where to find it and what its status was’, said Leigh's former superviser, Michael.
Leigh’s employer also benefits from the added support that local Disability Employment Network member, Advance Personnel, provides. Advance Personnel provided free training for Centrelink staff on disability awareness and advice on how to communicate effectively with people with disability as part of Leigh’s induction process. They also provide free on the job support for Leigh and his supervisor if it is required.
‘At Centrelink we often get phone calls that are difficult to manage. All our new staff find this a little bit confronting and need to learn strategies to manage a phone conversation if it starts to become difficult’, said Leigh’s supervisor, Trish. ‘Advance Personnel came in and helped us develop strategies to help Leigh with this part of the job. We will now be able to use those strategies to assist other staff members’.
Trish worked with Leigh to develop a script for managing difficult phone conversations. The scripts allow Leigh to read statements if he is finding it difficult to find the right words and can now be used by all new staff who find this part of the job challenging.
‘The training with Advance helped us understand how we could support Leigh on the job. It really just reinforced the fact that everyone is different in a workplace and we all work better when we appreciate and accept each other’s differences’.
‘Working with Leigh has actually taught me a lot about the way that I communicate with others and how I can alter my communication style to better meet the needs of others’, said Michael. ‘We often forget that everyone is different when it comes to their preferred communication style’.
Centrelink senior team leader, Cara, explains how all her staff have benefited from the advice and support that Advance Personnel have provided: ‘it’s about accepting individuality. At Centrelink, it’s important that we can communicate with customers from all backgrounds and experiences, regardless of whether they have a disability or not’.
With one in five working age Australians having a disability, employing people with disability can benefit your business by raising awareness of workplace practices and conditions. People with disability also bring a range of skills, abilities and qualifications to the workplace, in Leigh’s case his amazing memory.
More information about the benefits to your business of employing people with disability is available:
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