Employment Services

Employment Services for Employers

We are dedicated to supporting and promoting open employment for all people with Down syndrome and intellectual disabilities.

ACT Down Syndrome & Intellectual Disability Association (ACTDSID) offers services to employers looking for a diverse workforce. We will work with you to find the right employee to meet your needs – whether it’s work experience, traineeship programme or paid employment. We offer support to:

• Define and carve a suitable job
• Disability awareness training for existing staff
• Advertising
• Ongoing support to the business throughout the life of the job

We have worked with and supported a range of employers in a variety of industries in Canberra such as:

These are samples, only, of starting points or ideas. An employee can develop skills and roles as they gain time and experience in your workplace. Your workplace will also have its own roles and jobs.  

• Basic Administration
• Retail support and assistance
• Shelving, packing and sorting
• Food and Beverage service and preparation
• Kitchen hand assistances
• Back of house support
• Gardening assistance 
• Cleaning 
• Animal care and assistance
• Customer/client liaison
• Ticket sales
• Trades Assistant 

We can help customise a role for a potential employee and can work with you to shape a role that will be beneficial for your workplace and for the new employee.  

If you would like to have a obligation free chat about how we could support you to diversify your team, please contact our Employment Connector.

For more information and resources please the weblinks below.

Supports and Resources

• Down Syndrome Australia – Right to Work – Resources for Employers: A range of helpful resources for employers such as strategies, templates, case studies and video.  

• Down Syndrome Australia – A Guide for Employers: PDF guide for employers with information on supports, recruitment, training, legalities, adjustments.  

• Down Syndrome Australia – Practical Strategies for Employers: PDF with practical strategies and samples of workplace tools and tips.  

• Down Syndrome Australia:  Employment Resources – Archive of many employment resources covering material to assist both employers and employees who are starting the employment journey.  

• Inclusion Australia, Everyone Can Work – What is Open Employment?: explanations and information about Open Employment.  

• Inclusion Australia – Everyone Can Work Resources for Employers: Webpage with information about employment, recruitment, orientation, support, supervision, culture, skill development. From a partner organisation.  

• Inclusion Australia, Everyone Can Work – Resources: On this page, you’ll find resources for families, people with intellectual disability, supporters and employers. Use the search bar or the filters to find the resource you are looking for. 

• Job Access – Employer Toolkit:  Government website. This page has videos and resources to understand the steps to hire someone with a disability 

• Job Access  – I am an employer:  Advice for employers who are thinking of employing someone with a disability 

• VALiD – Let’s Work Web Series:  Information videos to empower employers and their employees with a disability 
  

What Employers Think About Open Employment

• ABC News  – Barriers people living with disability face finding work under microscope at royal commission, as Olivia finds purpose in employment: Case study about Olivia Sidhu who works with a Sydney architecture firm and thoughts from her employers. Framed by the royal commission findings 

• Down Syndrome Australia  – Employing someone with Down syndrome: It’s good for business:  Video about different workplaces and successful employment stories. (4.59 mins)  

• ABC News – How this workplace became more inclusive to hire people with disability (2 mins): There’s been a lot of talk about getting more people with disability into the workforce. But data shows only about 54 per cent of people with disability have a job. That figure has hardly changed in a decade. ABC takes a look at one business that’s making a difference. 
  
• Council for Intellectual Disability, My Work Matters Video Series: Nine videos that demonstrate the strengths and contributions that people with disability can bring to their workplace. 
  

ACT Employees’ Success Stories

• Down Syndrome Australia – Right to Work – Annie: Administration assistant Annie Lee shares her employment success story. 

• Down Syndrome Australia – Right to Work – Max: Max Grinsell-Jones works in administration and shares his employment success story. 

• Down Syndrome Australia – Right to Work – Success Stories: One person who is loving her work is Charlotte, who has just celebrated her 5th anniversary at Eastlake Football Club in Canberra. There are some Australia-wide stories here as well.  

• Down Syndrome Australia – Right to Work – Matthew: Matthew Barrett works at two jobs in Canberra. He shares his employment success story. 

Australian Employee Success Stories

• Down Syndrome Australia – Employment: Employment advocates explain what employment means for people with Down Syndrome (2.46 mins) 

•  Inclusion Australia  – Everyone Can Work  – Emma’s story: Emma is in her early 30s and has worked as an admin assistant at NTT Ltd for over six years. Her role includes filing, scanning, collecting mail, wiping workstations, cleaning the kitchen and conference rooms, and restocking the coffee machine. 

• Inclusion Australia – Everyone Can Work – Film 4 – Later in life:  People with intellectual disability of different ages talking about working in open employment (6:50 mins) 

• Council for Intellectual Disability – More than Just a Job: Ben and his employer talk about Ben’s work at Forum 6 Cinemas Wagga Wagga (2.41 mins) 

• What do people with intellectual disability think about their jobs and the support they receive at work? A comparative study of three employment support models: This is a study by UNSW and commissioned by the Department of Social Services. Go to page 33 onwards for the consolidation of ideas from employees.  

• Endeavour Foundation – The many reasons why I love my job: Employees discuss their work. (2.24 mins) 
  

Research and Rationales

• Inclusion Australia – Everyone Can Work  – Thinking about Work: Topics include: Why work matters, What is Open Employment, Learning about work, The role of families. 

• Inclusion Australia  – Everyone Can Work  – What are the outcomes and benefits of open employment for people with intellectual disability?: Evidence and information supporting Open Employment. 

• Inclusion Australia  – Everyone Can Work – Why work matters: information and research about the benefits of having work for people with an intellectual disability.  

• ABC  – The Drum – People with disability facing huge barriers to workforce: Just 1% of employees in Australia’s largest companies are people with disabilities – that is despite the fact that almost 20% of the population live with a disability. Advocates say that is not just bad for those with a disability but for the economy more broadly. (3.40 mins)  

• ABC News  – Barriers people living with disability face finding employment under the microscope (2.09 mins): The disability royal commission heard more than 50 per cent of people with disability of working age were unemployed in 2018. Advocates say it’s time for change.  

• 7:30 Report – Young adult researchers with Down syndrome hoping to change the narrative: A major study focusing on young adults with Down syndrome has just concluded producing remarkable new findings. (6.04 mins) 

• Job Access  – The Benefits of Employing someone with an Intellectual Disability: Topics include: What’s the business case?, What the research says about employer attitudes, Attitudes by industry, Support for employers With link to a video 

• CoorDown – The Hiring Chain: The flow on effect of employing people with an intellectual disability (1.5 mins). 

• The value that employees with Down syndrome can add to organizations:   Mckinsey & Company, with Instituto Alana, report on the importance of having people with disabilities in the job market, and the impact people with Down syndrome might have on the business environment. Full report is here: The value that employees with Down syndrome can add to organizations (PDF–1.7MB).