The member organisations of NACBO have a strong commitment to promoting and supporting the employment of people with disability.
We have gathered a collection of resources which showcase the history of work we have done in this area in creating practical and outcomes-driven resources that can assist people with disability and their families, colleagues, employers and potential employers as they pursue open employment in ordinary workplaces.
This page contains:
Stories of Employment
Below is a collection of videos by NACBO organisations.
Belonging Matters, Melbourne
Cameron Skinner was unemployed for ten years after leaving school.
Most of those years he spent in day activity centres for people with a disability and mental illness. He was bored, lonely and isolated until he found real work.
Community Resource Unit Ltd., Queensland
Sean left school with an expectation that he would work and study. His parents wanted to find a job for Sean that would use his innate gift of hospitality.
While work is an important part of his life, it has opened the door to many other opportunities.
Valued Lives, Western Australia
Having a business means a lot of different things to different people. Getting out of our comfort zone, making new friends, getting more exposure for unique talents, independence, getting rich and famous and more!
A microenterprise can be life changing for people who decide to create one.
Imagine More, Canberra.
With the support of Gus’s family networks, they discovered a job opportunity at the CSIRO.
CSIRO used an innovative interview process that was not dependent on verbal responses, rather Gus was taken straight into the lab where he demonstrated he was the right person for the job.
JFA Purple Orange, South Australia.
Every person deserves the right to meaningful employment and having a job brings great benefits to a person’s life.
Jane recently lost her job and is looking for a new one. She told us about the ways her job allowed her to live the life she wants.
Resourcing Inclusive Communities, Sydney
This video tells the story of Josh Shearman, who attended his local mainstream school and did school work experience with two local businesses.
He now volunteers at both businesses as well as running his own mail courier service, 'JLS Mailink'.
Collections of Resources for Employment and Micro-Enterprises
Inclusive Employment Factsheets
Community Resource Unit Ltd., Queensland
Getting a part time job in high school is a common rite of passage that enriches the lives of many young people. These fact sheets have been developed to help young people with disability get their first job.
As well as getting spending money having a job opens up opportunities for friendship, skill development and life experience. The value of this experience is equally important for young people with disability but it can require some extra thinking and planning, as outlined in the fact sheets below.
National Microenterprise Directory
Valued Lives, Western Australia (WA)
Microenterprise plays a highly important role in employment creation and income generation, providing access to low-income individuals who have not been able to work due to disabilities, medical conditions and language barriers; there are many people in these circumstances who currently operate microenterprise businesses across Australia and this directory offers a platform that showcases their great work.
The Microenterprise projects listed on this page are built to the individual’s capacities, timeframes and passions, offering customers good value products and services Australia-wide.
Employment and Microenterprise
Imagine More, Australian Capital Territory (ACT)
Work is how most of us meaningfully spend our days, evenings or weekends. This is how we can contribute, form friendships and even find a life partner. Imagine More believes that all people with disability can work.
We've identified these resources as essential reading on this topic.
Let's Talk About Employment
JFA Purple Orange, South Australia (SA)
With the unemployment rate of people living with disability at 10% (almost double that of people who don’t live with disability), Purple Orange spends a lot of time focused on employment. In January 2019 we asked the disability community for your stories of job seeking and careers.
Every person deserves the right to meaningful employment and having a job brings great benefits to a person’s life. Jane recently lost her job and is looking for a new one. She told us about the ways her job allowed her to live the life she wants.