CBA Engineering, a Western Sydney firm, knew Patrick was the right person for the job when they interviewed him.
The job was labour intensive and required Patrick to stand for long periods at a workbench assembling and packing the company’s fabricated metal parts.
To accommodate Patrick’s lower back injury the workspace would need to be modified.
‘When I hired Patrick I knew there would have to be some modification to the workplace to allow him to perform the work’, says Chris from CBA. ‘I could see that he had the skills we were after, but the workstation needed some adjustment because of his injury.’
Through Patrick’s Disability Employment Services provider, Macarthur Disability Services, Chris applied for assistance from the Employment Assistance Fund for a new sit/stand stool and some work bench adjustments.
The Employment Assistance Fund is an Australian Government scheme that pays for the costs involved in modifying the workplace or purchasing special or adaptive equipment for eligible employees with disability.
More than a year later, Patrick’s employer could not be happier.
‘The Employment Assistance Fund allowed me to employ Patrick and I couldn’t fault his work’, Chris said.
If you want to employ people with disability, you may need to modify your workspace. Most people with disability do not need changes, but if you do need to make modifications, support and assistance is available from Disability Employment Service providers and through the Employment Assistance Fund.
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