Work It: Finding Employment With a Disability
Employment with a disability can be an extremely daunting process to navigate. Jamie-Lee discusses her own employment journey and the importance of self-advocating, and shares some tips for seeking employment with a disability.
Looking for a job is an extremely daunting process for anyone. When I finished my university degree in journalism, I was nervous and apprehensive about finding a job. I never thought anyone would hire me because of my limitations.
I did a bit of volunteer work for Summer Foundation and then they let me know about the position available at Housing Hub. After I’ve been with the company for a number of years, my role adapted as the organisation went through a rebrand.
I’m now a Copywriting Assistant for the Housing Hub’s Marketing team, and my main responsibility is working on lived experience blogs but also helping the team out with a range of research tasks.
There are jobs that I simply can’t do, so it’s difficult finding the right employer that can be flexible to my needs.
Jamie-Lee with her sister, Samantha.
My experience with the Housing Hub has always been great and I find the work I do with them very rewarding. They are very accommodating with the ups and downs of my condition, and we are able to work around my fatigue issues.
I can work from home and attend weekly online meetings with my managers. I’m given the opportunity to contribute ideas for content. They even organised equipment for my disability at their annual offsite forum in Melbourne and made my commute from Brisbane very streamlined.
I’ve had this job now with the Housing Hub for over four years and the things I enjoy most from my work is the routine and connection with colleagues.
It’s hard to find the confidence to self-advocate, the way I think about it is you only get one chance at life so make the best of it whatever your circumstances are.
Bianca Stern, General Manager at a Melbourne-based social enterprise which empowers people with disability to seek training and employment in the hospitality industry called All Things Equal, said something I resonate with on The Daily Aus podcast A Blueprint for Disability Employment. She said:
“When you hire someone who is disabled, they have worked so hard to self-advocate and are often grateful to be in a job […] You are gaining so much more than you realise when hiring someone with a disability.”
You should always reach for more than you think you are able to, people would never think I could do stand-up comedy with my sister, you don’t know until you try things.
My sister and I were recently given the opportunity to be interviewed on That Was Unexpected, a podcast about disability through YoungCare. I found it really interesting to talk to Lisa Cox about employment with a disability, as we both have lived experience and it highlighted how far we have come but how far we still have to go, to overcome these barriers.
With all that in mind, here are some tips for people with disability to find employment:
- Try and create a network of connections, whether this be through volunteering or social media.
- Think of what you can bring to the table, not what you can’t.
- Reach out to your support coordinator to ask them about suitable jobs.
- Research the company you are applying for and see if they align with your needs and values.
You don’t automatically assume that getting a job can change someone’s life, but it does. It can give you so much more purpose, socialisation and it can help widen your circle of connections.
NDIS Housing Advice Line
The Housing Hub have a free NDIS Housing Advice Line that operates Monday - Friday 10am - 3pm (AEST).
Contact Us
- Phone: 1300 61 64 63
- Email: housingoptions@housinghub.org.au
- or send in an enquiry via our contact form.
The line has been established to support you and your supporters to:
- Understand NDIS home and living options
- Access information about home and living supports
- Receive information on the process to apply for NDIS home and living supports.
Browse Resources
Housing Seeker Profile
Creating a Housing Seeker Profile is a simple process which involves telling us what you are looking for and what is important to you.
Housing Roadmap
The Housing Hub has worked alongside people with disability to map out the stages of a housing journey and the information you need to know about when moving through each step.
Living More Independently
The Housing Hub has teamed up with Mable to create a three-part series about living more independently.