Service providers throw off the ‘disability’ tag

LAST December, Premier Colin Barnett announced that Western Australia would follow the federal government’s lead and allow state government departments to award contracts to disability enterprises without them first being put out for tender.

To date, no federal or state government contracts have been won under the new arrangement, which was initiated in 2008.

Westcare Industries chief executive Bev Jefferies told WA Business News having WA as the first state to award a contract under the arrangement would be beneficial for disability employment services in WA.

“Nobody has won a contract yet out of WA government. It would be a major win for WA,” Ms Jefferies said.

She believes the general understanding of disability employment services is shifting, with a growing recognition of the value workers with disabilities could bring to the workplace.

Activ Foundation executive director Vincent Long said the foundation had been operating for 60 years and provided not only employment services to 1,030 people in WA, but accommodation for 280, as well as services such as recreation and transport.

Mr Long said there was no longer any stigma associated with the industry.

“I don’t think there is a stigma, there is a lack of education and a lack of understanding,” he said.

“People with disabilities have abilities, and we are concentrating on what those ability ranges are and making sure we provide appropriate support to allow people to achieve what for them would be a successful work outcome.”

Mr Long said Activ had a strong relationship with its clients, one of the oldest of which is the Water Corp, having employed people from Activ for the past 15 years.

“They have the strongest vision I think in terms of what an organisation like us can do on an ongoing basis and they’re a model for other organisations,” he said.

“We will provide a quality driven, value-for-money service that you aren’t being disadvantaged by using, but on top of that you are also supporting people with disability.”

Activ does not appeal to clients’ emotions, however.

“It is a secondary pitch; we don’t go in there as a disability service, we go in there as a business,” Mr Long said.

Ms Jefferies agreed that disability enterprises were viable businesses.

“It’s no longer hit and miss, we use proper tools to run our businesses. And they are businesses, there are some very successful ADEs out there,” she said. “We have a decent client portfolio. It is not like we are scrambling for the rats and mice out there.”

Westcare has contracts with Hungry Jack’s, Lion Nathan, Dome, Toyota and Alcoa, while Activ is involved with several mining companies across the state.

Ms Jefferies said referring to disability employment services as ADEs had allowed the industry to move away from negative perceptions of the past.

“To get away from the term ‘sheltered workshops’, which implies some kind of lower productivity, keeping people busy for the sake of keeping them busy, to a more commercial kind of naming they called us business services,” she said.

“Last year they changed the name again to Australian Disability Enterprises, so they now refer to us as an ADE.

“I think it just puts disability back in to the name. Everything we do here is for the people with disabilities.”

“I think we need to start including people with disabilities in a more open way. It’s not something you hide from and it’s not something that should be hidden from the public; it’s nothing to be ashamed of or be embarrassed about.

“We are very much a commercial entity, in terms of our five manufacturing divisions but it’s under the umbrella of a charity.”

The industry has most recently been highlighted with the first inductees in to the Disability Employment Services Hall of Fame through the National Disability Employment Service.

Greg Lewis was one of three inductees recognised for his contribution to the sector by pioneering EDGE Employment Solutions.