Technologies and hiring processes changing to embrace workers with disabilities

Australians with disabilities are twice as likely to be unemployed. But Kmart sales assistant Lachlan Grindrod, who was diagnosed with autism as a child, hasn’t let this stop him finding work.

Australians with disabilities are twice as likely to be unemployed than the general population, but the future is looking up as organisations and new technologies change the way people work and hire.

In 2015, the unemployment rate for people with a disability was 10 per cent, compared to 5.3 per cent for the workforce overall, Australian Bureau of Statistics data shows.

This figure was as high as 31.6 per cent – almost six times the general population – for people with an autism spectrum disorder.

Microsoft chief accessibility officer Jenny Lay-Flurrie says people with autism often are working in jobs that do not take advantage of their skills or qualifications.

To address this, the tech company has a dedicated hiring program for people with autism, which has been launched in the US but is expected to roll out internationally.

It is different to a traditional interview.

“You come to campus and we set you tasks, and we assess your skills based on how you deliver on those tasks,” she says.

Workplaces are becoming more accessible as employers aim to reduce barriers to workers with disabilities. Picture: iStock

Lay-Flurrie recalls a developer who was writing code so fast the hiring manager had to ask him to slow down.

“Then ultimately, the hiring managers are like ‘we need this code, we need to see what the hell this kid’s done’,” she says.

“It turned out he was just an utter genius, but that was never showing through in our interviews.”

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Meanwhile, new research from organisations including Vision Australia reveals just 24 per cent of blind and partially-sighted Australian adults are in full-time employment and 43 per cent say workplace inaccessibility is a barrier.

To reduce barriers, Microsoft is developing technologies such as its Seeing AI app, which turns text, handwriting and surroundings into spoken descriptions, and Soundscape software, which uses audio cues to provide step-by-step navigation.

Microsoft chief accessibility officer Jenny Lay-Flurrie. Picture: Mark Nolan/Getty

Workskil Australia chief executive Nicole Dwyer says the unemployment rate for people with disabilities is unacceptable, however, it is being addressed.

“Progressive employers understand the wide-ranging benefits a diverse workplace brings to their organisation as well as the individual employee,” she says.

“(It) brings new skills and experience to an organisation and fosters a stronger, empathetic and values-based team culture.

“This has been shown to flow through to improved staff morale and retention, customer satisfaction and loyalty.

“Demonstrating diversity is also an increasingly important consideration for organisations right across industry in tender and contract submissions.”

Workskil Australia’s Nicole Dwyer says workplaces benefit from hiring people with disabilities. Picture: Supplied

Kmart sales assistant Lachlan Grindrod, who was diagnosed with autism as a child, says he was initially nervous when he started in the workforce.

He was unsure about meeting new people and confused by the different sections of the store but has since learned to control his stress by not rushing while on the register and arriving to shifts early so he is not anxious when he starts.

“I am very happy right now and I plan to keep working on my skills at Kmart over the next few years with a goal to start living independently in a few years’ time,” he says.

Grindrod found his job after speaking to Mylestones Employment and deciding to study a Certificate II in Retail Service.

Lachlan Grindrod found work at Kmart with the help of Mylestones Employment. Picture: Supplied

Mylestones program co-ordinator Chris Bingham worked with him one-on-one to identify his skills and prepare for his job interview.

“Once he secured his job, I was on hand to work out the logistics for his job such as what he will need on a daily basis at work, what time he should arrive, what he would be required to do and who he will need to report to … removing any roadblocks and smoothing out anything that is stressful in a new environment,” Bingham says.

“Our aim is to really integrate him into the team environment and work with him long-term on productivity.”

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Originally published as Technologies and hiring processes changing to embrace workers with disabilities