CoAct and service partner VisAbility’s support young people with disability to find work that suits their individual needs when they finish high school education.

VisAbility is a CoAct service partner that has been providing practical, emotional and peer support services to Western Australians with low or no vision, sensory disability, hearing loss, Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) or Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) for over 100 years.

About VisAbility

The not-for-profit began as the Ladies’ Braille society, transcribing braille literature back in 1913. Today they offer professional therapy and support services to Western Australians at any stage of life, “in homes, at school, at work and in the community” on a mission to “support people with vision impairment across Western Australia to live the life they want, with confidence.”

VisAbility is owned and operated by EverAbility Group Limited.

Marucus’s story

Marcus has Oculomotor Apraxia and Dyspraxia, but this does not slow him down in his approach to work. He was placed in this new role by the VisAbility team and he now maintains a fleet of more than 70 vehicles, cleaning them regularly to a high standard to reflect the brand and values of his new employer, EverAbility Group.

School leavers and young adults who live with a disability can be worried about barriers to finding and securing sustainable employment. With VisAbility in his corner Marcus had access to CoAct’s dedicated Disability Employment Services (DES) team, supporting him to find the right job and listening to his needs to help find him a role that aligns with his specific needs.

Thanks to this process (and a previous similar work experience they’d arranged for him) the team knew that Marcus got a great deal of satisfaction and enjoyment from washing cars.

I love it because it’s physical and gets me out of the house, Marcus says.

With this in mind, the team from VisAbility approached EverAbility Group and negotiated an opportunity for Marcus to work two days a week cleaning the fleet. Marcus was over the moon with this job opportunity as the role is local to his home and provides an avenue to build his skills for future employment.

Ongoing support after leaving school

Marcus receives support in his new job from VisAbility staff Greg and Lianne, who are assisting him with learning his duties and building his independence. Lianne says that since starting work Marcus has really come out of his shell:

It’s great to see him so excited at the start of each shift and you can see the look of satisfaction when he finishes each car.

Financial assistance is also available to employers for any workplace modifications required when hiring a person with disability. For Marcus this role represents his first step into the world of paid employment post-secondary education. We look forward to seeing Marcus excel in his role as he builds on his skills and independence supported by the DES team at VisAbility.

Recruiting a diverse workforce

Australian Government statistics from 2022 show that people with disability have a current employment rate of 48% (compared with 80% for people without disability) and that people with disabilities can bring unique perspectives, experiences and problem-solving skills to the workplace.

This diversity can also enhance innovation and creativity and research findings have stated that employees with disability often have higher job performance, leading to higher productivity. Research by the University of Melbourne show employing people with disability is cost effective too.

Securing employment for people with disability, including school leavers, doesn’t have to be challenging. Get started by engaging with support from a trusted Disability Employment Services provider like CoAct service partner VisAbility, the organization has a five star disability employment service rating that makes them one of the best in WA.

Register here to find out more about how we can provide dedicated job search support and jobseeker programs to help you reach your employment goals.