Episode 14: The Employment Assistance Fund
In this episode
In this episode of Inform, we’ll be discussing the Employment Assistance Fund. Administered by JobAccess, the Employment Assistance Fund, or EAF, provides financial help to eligible people with a disability to cover the costs of work related modifications and equipment.
We speak with Deborah Fairbairn who is blind in her left eye, and has used the Employment Assistance Fund to ensure she has the right supports at work.
Also in this episode, we speak with Camille Greenwell. Camille is the Client Support Manager for the advisory and workplace modifications team at JobAccess. Camille has some great information about how the fund works and some great advice on how to access it.
How the Employment Assistance Fund can help you
The Employment Assistance Fund can provide funding for a wide range of supports, including specific equipment for the physical workplace, modifications to work vehicles and the workplace plus assistive communication devices, Auslan interpreting and specialist services for employees with specific learning disorders and mental health conditions.
“People are often surprised at the wide range of modifications and services that are available through the EAF to support people with disability in the workplace, as well as the significant impacts they can have on their productivity.”
Camille Greenwell, the Client Support Manager for the advisory and workplace modifications team at JobAccess.
Why knowledge is vital
Deborah first learnt about the Employment Assistance Fund through the disability offer at the organisation she worked for at the time.
“Just knowing that there is someone who can assist both your employer and you to look at the role, look at the difficulties you may have in a particular area, and know that there’s potentially an option to assist you to be able to stay in that job and work at your best. Just getting access to that information is the first step.”
Deborah Fairbairn
Resources
Employment Assistance Fund information
Employment Assistance Fund application
Transcript
You can find a transcript of this episode here:
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Stay tuned for the next episode of Inform. In the meantime, make sure you subscribe to Inform on your preferred podcast listening platform to be the first to hear about new episodes.
Host and producer: Kirby Fenwick
Managing editor: Alison Crowe
Our thanks to JobAccess, Camille Greenwell and Deborah Fairbairn.
This episode of Inform was recorded and produced on the lands of the Wurundjeri people of the Kulan nation. We pay our respects to elders past and present.
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