All staff are responsible for the fair and equitable treatment of coworkers with disability. Managers should actively promote the employment and retention of people with disability. People Branch is responsible for making the necessary resources available to support this objective wherever possible.
Disability Access Coordinator Role (DAC):
The DAC (currently Robyn Forester on 62009512) is a position identified in the FaHCSIA Collective Agreement. The DAC is responsible for influencing the development of corporate policies so that issues affecting employees with an injury, illness or disability are addressed. The DAC also works with managers, employees and service providers to ensure that the principles of reasonable adjustment, and access and equity are upheld. This is done by providing advice and guidance to managers and employees on:
- Supporting and managing injury, illness or disability in the workplace; and
- Workplace modifications, assistive technology, adaptive equipment and physical access.
FaHCSIA Leadership disAbility Group (FLAG)
FLAG’s Vision is to:
Advance the status of employees with disability across the whole Department and build FaHCSIA’s leadership in this area.
FLAG is a staff group that was established in late 2008 to identify and address workplace issues that affect employees with an injury, illness or disabilty.
Supported by the Department and the Senior Level Advocate for FaHCSIA Employees with Disability, Deputy Secretary Geoff Leeper, FLAG has identified the need to raise the profile and visability of disability issues with the department.
FLAG aims to:
- Make a difference on stategic issues and overcome systemic barriers
- Focus on attracting, recruiting and retaining staff with disability
- Work on disability issues in positive and constructive ways through the encouragement of best-practice approaches to accomodation and recruitment, including through peer support, buddying, coaching and mentoring.
Becoming a Member
Membership of FLAG is open to interested staff members, with or without disability, who would like to assist FaHCSIA as an employer of choice.
Assistive Technology
FaHCSIA supports the importance of people having what they need to do their job to the best of their abilities.
Assistive Technology Operations Group (ATOG)
The Assistive Technology Operations Group will provide a forum to ensure maximum participation, opportunity and contribution of employees who use Assistive Technology in FaHCSIA.
The group will achieve this by:
- investigating and considering best-practice assistive technology solutions;
- anticipating future needs of assistive technology users;
- consulting with assistive technology users;
- planning effectively to ensure the needs of assistive technology users are met.
This group will provide recommendations and information to the Assistive Technology Management Advisory Group (ATMAG). The group will meet when necessary.
Assistive Technology Management Advisory Group (ATMAG)
The Assistive Technology Management Group will provide a forum for the provision of strategic advice and recommendations on assistive technology solutions to maximize the participation, opportunity and contribution of staff who use assistive technology in FaHCSIA.
This will be achieved through:
- consideration of assistive technology issues within the strategic direction of IT in FaHCSIA
- consideration of funding for assistive technology within FaHCSIA
- effective planning to meet the needs of assistive technology users;
- monitoring and evaluating the success of assistive technology solutions both internal and external to FaHCSIA.