Chris forges a new future for himself

When Chris was declared legally blind at the age of 30, he needed to find a new career path. The team at CoAct Victoria Park gave him the support he needed to find the perfect role.

Chris had previously worked in hospitality and had an incredibly successful and vibrant career. He had held many supervisor and team leader roles in the industry. When he was declared legally blind at the age of 30, he knew it was time to reassess his career path.

Chris decided he would like to work in an office-based role. Knowing he would need to upskill if he wanted such a big career pivot, he enrolled himself into a course at North Metro TAFE: Certificate IV in Business Administration.

“Chris is intelligent, self-motivated, and picks things up quickly. He was such a pleasure to work with.” – Andrew Walker, Coordinator TAFE Admissions

Chris registered for Disability Employment Services (DES) (Now Inclusive Employment Australia – IEA).

with CoAct service partner VisAbility in January 2023. The VisAbility team were immediately impressed by his friendly and outgoing nature. He had amazing customer service skills, was well-mannered, proactive, intelligent, and an extremely fast learner. The team were so impressed with Chris that he was even put forward for an internal role at VisAbility!

VisAbility worked closely with Chris to support him in his job search. They helped him update resume and apply for multiple roles. They attended Chris’ job interview to support him through this process, and liaised with the employer. It wasn’t long before Chris secured a role with the Department of Training and Workforce Development as an Admission Support Officer.

“The whole VisAbility team were really easy to work with. They were so supportive and kept the whole process simple. Having a vision impairment, I really appreciated their flexibility and support in attending appointments over the phone instead of in person.” – Chris

After Chris had secured his new role, VisAbility Occupational Therapist and Accessibility Expert, David Vosnacos conducted an on-site workplace assessment. He assessed the accessibility and modification requirements needed for Chris to succeed in the workplace. David then coordinated funding for these modifications through the Australian Government’s JobAccess program.

Chris also received both on and off-site support from VisAbility as he settled into his new role, to ensure he felt supported. This included regular check-ins with both Chris and his employer. This support and the right technology enabled Chris to flourish in his new role.

The team at the Department of Training and Workforce Development were so impressed with the quality of Chris’ work and his wonderful interpersonal skills that his initial contract has since been extended.

“The VisAbility team were so proactive about looking for office admin roles for me. I’m so pleased that I’ve been able to successfully pivot industries and I’m really proud that my supervisors here are so happy with my work that my contract has been extended.” – Chris

Contact us today to find out how we can help you find the right job for you.