As a proud not-for-profit Disability Employment Services (DES) provider, CoAct and our Service Partners are in full support of Alcott’s impactful new Remove The Barrier campaign.
Real people with real experiences
Through telling the stories of people with a lived experience of disability, Remove The Barrier highlights the unconscious bias that people with disability face when it comes to work. The campaign aims to raise awareness of not only this unconscious bias that exists, but also shine a light on the many positive aspects of employing a person with disability.
As Dylan Alcott explains, despite being willing and able workers, people with disability struggle to find jobs. This is a challenge CoAct is all too familiar with.
“When people with disability look for work, it’s often what we don’t see that is the biggest barrier – that of unconscious bias. This invisible barrier is at the core of the campaign and is what The Dylan Alcott Foundation and the young people with disability involved in the campaign are asking businesses and individuals to remove.”
“The Dylan Alcott Foundation decided it was time to raise awareness of unemployment among people with disability and change perceptions of what they can achieve in the workplace.”
Everybody deserves meaningful, sustainable employment
It’s campaigns like these – that start the conversation around disability employment – that CoAct and our Service Partners are so passionate about. We believe that sustained employment transforms lives. And it’s our job at CoAct to make sure we create new connections, opportunities and programs to help drive change in people’s lives through meaningful, sustainable employment. But this can’t be done without breaking down those barriers to employment first.
It’s time for people and businesses to get on board with supporting disability employment
2.2 million Australians are of working-age living with a disability yet are significantly unrepresented in the workforce. That’s one in five. Unfortunately, the unemployment rate for people with disability is increasing and is almost double compared to those without disability.
CoAct, along with our Service Partners, work to challenge these numbers on a daily basis by providing support to job seekers and employers alike, so that they can successfully navigate disability in the world of work.
It’s time to Change the Story
We recently wrapped up our own disability employment campaign, Change the Story. Change the Story is a nationwide storytelling project celebrating ability and showing how sustainable, meaningful employment can change lives. In a similar vein to Remove The Barrier, Change the Story’s aim was starting a conversation and working towards shifting the thinking of individuals, employers, and communities around hiring people with disability.
Change the Story follows eight CoAct Disability Employment Services customers to explore their journey of navigating the world of work. It also shines a light on the positive flow-on effects of hiring a person with disability presents to individuals, employers and the wider community.
You can check out the Change the Story films here.
How we help employers navigate disability employment
CoAct specialises in helping employers to build an inclusive and diverse workforce through our tailored support and solutions. As a leading national partnership of for-purpose Service Partners, we help employers all across Australia to find, recruit, train, mentor and support people with disability who are looking to find work.
A great example of an employer reaping the rewards of embracing diversity in the workplace is Coffs Harbour business owner, Priya. Priya has worked with CoAct Service Partner CHESS Connect for eight years to support her employment needs. In the last five years alone, Priya has employed 18 people with disability in her small business.
How we help people with disability find the right job sooner
For people living with disability, illness or injury, CoAct can help. We are made up of some of Australia’s most respected and experienced Service Partners who have the local knowledge to deliver job seekers with disability the best outcomes. All of our services are carefully tailored to individual needs so that everyone can realise their potential and enjoy the benefits of work.
In 2018, CoAct helped 22,080 people with disability work towards sustainable employment. Sammy’s story is just one of these that highlights how getting the right support helped him to thrive in a job that he loves.
Working together to change perceptions
Changing our perceptions and supporting campaigns like Remove The Barrier will help as a society to focus on what people can do, not what they can’t do – opening a world of opportunities for individuals, their employers and the wider community.
Join us in support for the Remove the Barrier campaign. Visit their website to learn more.