You can do a range of things to help support an employee with cognitive impairment. Some cognitive conditions can affect problem solving, concentration and memory. A person may need support in one of these areas or more than one. In addition to the information on this page, you may also want to visit our article about supporting learning and understanding at work ., Cognitive differences at work, People with a cognitive impairment may have an intellectual or learning disability, acquired brain injury, autism spectrum or other neurological conditions. A cognitive impairment might affect how a person: thinks creatively solves problems concentrates remembers plans and organises. By giving your employees the right support, you can help them feel less stressed and frustrated. You can also help…, Making workplace adjustments to support your staff, Even simple changes like removing distractions, using reminders and checklists, and changing how you schedule breaks can help., How to encourage creative thinking, Creative thinking helps someone come up with new ideas or ways to solve a problem. To help employees use creative thinking, you can: create a friendly, open place to work and show that you value input from employees about how the organisation runs set up a buddy program where employees are matched with another employee who can help them to think creatively., Supporting problem solving and critical thinking, Problem solving is being able to find answers to problems by thinking in an organised way. Critical thinking is being able to look at all the information accurately and fairly. You can consider these to help employees with their problem solving and critical thinking skills: Reminders and checklists – employees can use these to look at the situation and give information about the problem. This…, Supporting concentration and memory, Difficulty in concentrating or remembering can be related to a person’s disability, and employees need understanding and support. Memory issues can affect how people do their job and stay safe in the workplace. To help employees focus and remember work tasks, you can: avoid or remove distractions – for example, divide workspaces with walls, move workstations away from other employees and reduce…, Helping employees plan and manage time, Preparing and organising work tasks gives a structure to each working day and can reduce stress levels. Employees who struggle with these skills may need support. To help employees organise, plan and manage their time, you can: set up a buddy system to give employees extra support and guidance encourage employees to use calendars, watches and timers with prompts have regular check-ins with…, Where to get more support, A cognition and communication specialist such as a speech pathologist may be able to identify any barriers in the workplace through an assessment. Your employee might be eligible for a free workplace assessment through the Employment Assistance Fund. Specialist employment agencies, such as Disability Employment Services (DES), who provide coaching and support on the job for people with…
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There is a lot you can do to support employees who are deaf or hard of hearing. That might include giving information in different ways and simple changes to workspaces. You can also get funding for workplace changes and interpreting services., Deafness and hearing loss at work, How an employee’s hearing affects the way they work can depend on: the type and level of hearing loss what industry the person works in the assistive technology available for them the support at work. Deafness or hearing loss may affect how a person communicates. It can hinder their ability to give and get instructions, join meetings, and interact with customers. , Understanding deaf and hard of hearing, Deaf or hard hearing can range from very mild to profound, also called complete hearing loss. Most people have mild hearing loss and communicate by speaking. People with complete hearing loss – who are deaf – may communicate in Auslan. Auslan, or Australian Sign Language, is the Deaf community’s language. Auslan has its own grammar and ways of making meaning and is not based on English. A deaf…, Making workplace adjustments to support your staff, If your employee is deaf - has profound hearing loss - ask them how they prefer to communicate. This may include lipreading, Auslan, written instructions or a mix of these., Supporting clear communication, To help employees who lipread or use visual hints to understand, you can: get the person’s attention by waving your hand where they can see it, or tapping them on the shoulder look directly at the person so they can see your face clearly avoid speaking in areas with little space or poor lighting avoid talking while eating or smoking listen attentively and use effective communication skills use…, Giving information in different ways, You can support employees who are deaf or hard of hearing. Provide information in different formats. For example: make sure all videos, such as training videos, have captions and transcripts use emails, whiteboards, written job cards or handouts to support spoken messages for staff meetings, use visual presentations, written agendas and meeting minutes provide webcams for those who use sign…, Using technology and services, There is a range of assistive listening devices and other technology that can support employees who are deaf or hard of hearing. These include: captioning and real-time captioning services amplification or FM systems – the speaker uses a microphone, which improves sound for the person listening with a receiver personal amplifiers hearing loops, or induction loops are connected to a PA system.…, Setting up work areas and meetings, There are a few simple physical adjustments you can make to help employees with hearing loss. You can: set up workstations so the employee is facing co-workers or entrances. This helps them see what is happening and not be surprised by people appearing suddenly let the employee have a place in the middle and towards the front of the room during meetings if the employee has better hearing in one…, Using an Auslan interpreter, If you have an employee who uses Auslan, there may be times an Auslan interpreter can help in the workplace. Auslan interpreters can work on site or remotely. Your employee may be able to get funding for interpreting services through the Employment Assistance Fund. Auslan interpreters are also available for calls using the free National Relay Service (NRS). For more information about the NRS,…, Financial support for workplace changes, The Employment Assistance Fund helps fund work-related changes, equipment and services. It helps people with disabilities get and keep a job. The Employment Assistance Fund can also be used for: Auslan interpreters for key training sessions or meetings Auslan awareness training, by a Registered Training Organisation for co-workers so they can support employees who are deaf. To work out if your…, Hearing aids, The Employment Assistance Fund doesn’t cover the cost of hearing aids as they are considered medical aids. A Hearing Aid Bank or the Australian Government Australian Government Hearing Services Program website Hearing Services Program may be able to help people who can’t pay the full cost of their hearing aids. What support is available? There is a wide range of support available from JobAccess…
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Some disabilities may affect how much work a person can do each day, compared with their co-workers. The Supported Wage System (SWS) is set up so that employers can pay wages based how much work an employee can do. Learn about who is eligible, the application process, and how employers and service providers can apply .
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Complaints Resolution and Referral Service, The Complaints Resolution and Referral Service (CRRS) on 1800 880 052 provides resources and information sessions for service providers. The CRRS proactively engages with service providers to help them improve through training and skills transfer. The CRRS helps service providers to: adopt best-practice policy and practice provide training and support to enable them to resolve complaints…, National Disability Abuse and Neglect Hotline, The National Disability Abuse and Neglect Hotline (the Hotline) 1800 880 052 is for reporting abuse or neglect of people with disability. The hotline works with callers to find appropriate ways of dealing with reports of abuse or neglect through referral, information and support. The Hotline is an initial point of contact that does not itself have investigative or complaint progression mechanisms…, Privacy collection notice, The Complaints Resolution and Referral Service is is operated on behalf of the Department of Social Services (department) by our contracted service provider, GL Resolution (our contracted service provider), (collectively referred to as CRRS, we or us) and will consider complaints made by clients of services funded by the department under the, Disability Services Act 1986, (Cth). The CRRS will handle your personal information in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth), the Australian Privacy Principles , the Department’s Privacy Policy | Department of Social Services and our contracted service providers’ Privacy Policy and Disclosure - GL Resolution ., What we collect, ‘Personal information’ is any information or opinion about an individual whose identity is apparent, or can reasonably be ascertained, from the information. Sensitive information is a subset of personal information and includes information or opinion about a person’s: Beliefs and legal information: political opinions membership of a political association religious beliefs or affiliations…, How we may collect your information, Usually, we will collect information directly from you or where you consent from your authorised person when you or they contact us by either phone or through the CRRS website. At times, we may also collect information about you from others if they have information relevant to your complaint., Using and disclosing your personal information, The information you provide to the CRRS during the course of your matter will be used to assess your complaint and make enquiries or investigations into your complaint. We may use and disclose your personal information, and the personal information of any other person that you provide, to contact you, or any person whose details you provide to investigate your complaint. Where you have complained…, Information collected through our website, We use the GovCMS platform provided by the Department of Finance to run our website. This means that when you contact us through our website, the Department of Finance may collect and use website analytics information about your activity on our website. The Department does this too. Read the Department’s Privacy Policy to learn more. When you contact us through our website, the Department of…, More information, You can find more information about how we handle personal information by reading the Department’s Privacy Policy . This includes information about how we store your information, how to contact us to access or correct information about you, and your rights to make a complaint about how we handle your personal information.
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When your recruitment process is easy to access you welcome a broader and more diverse talent pool, including people with disability. Inclusive hiring starts with small changes that make a big difference. From the way you write job ads to the design of your website, accessible recruitment practices can open the door to more candidates and better outcomes., Why accessibility matters, Most jobseekers will interact with your organisation online. Whether it's reading a job description, watching a recruitment video or applying on your website. Common recruitment practices can sometimes create barriers for people with disability. For example: A person using assistive technology may not be able to read a job ad on a website that does not meet web access standards. A candidate who…, Simple ways to improve accessibility, Here are a few quick wins:, Make job ads accessible, Tell candidates ‘what’ they will do in the role. Use plain language, avoid jargon, short sentences, and clear formatting. Make sure your PDFs are accessible (or provide Word/HTML alternatives)., Check your website, Does it meet the WCAG 2.1 AA standard ? If users change font size or contrast, will they still be able to read your content?, Use accessible formats and platforms, Share job ads on platforms that support accessibility. Include captions, transcripts and audio description in videos. Make sure social media posts include image descriptions., Offer inclusive application options, Allow video or audio submissions. Provide contact details for applicants needing adjustments. Let people know you’re happy to help., Make adjustments to the recruitment process, Reasonable workplace adjustments can apply to the application and recruitment process. Asking all candidates what you can do to help them be their best is a great start., Test your process, Recruit people with disability to review your website or application forms and provide feedback., Invite people with disability to apply, Include a diversity statement that shows your commitment to inclusion. For example:, ‘We embrace diversity and encourage applications from people with disability. We are committed to making adjustments to provide a positive, barrier-free recruitment process and supportive workplace.’, Use AI and testing tools carefully, Some automated recruitment tools, such as AI screeners or psychometric tests, can exclude people with disability without intending to do so. For example, facial recognition tools may not account for neurodiverse communication styles, and many tests aren’t accessible via keyboard. These tools should never be used to screen people out. JobAccess provides free expert advice and resources to help…, Want help checking if your recruitment process is accessible?, Call a JobAccess Adviser on 1800 464 800 or find out more at: Partnering with the National Disability Recruitment Coordinator | JobAccess
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