Blair’s story: The importance of inclusive workplace culture | SSI Local Area Coordination

23-year-old Blair, who faces communication challenges, has always been keen to work but had encountered hurdles related to transportation and exclusionary workplace dynamics. Blair worked with the SSI Local Area Coordination (LAC) program to assist him in various aspects of his journey toward meaningful employment, including identifying job opportunities, navigating funding and support systems, and ensuring he could independently access transportation and integrate into a workplace. Today, Blair is proud to work at a landscaping company, with a cohesive team of coworkers who he enjoys socialising with. Blair's experience with workplace social dynamics emphasises the importance of fostering an inclusive workplace culture and the need for employers to encourage social integration and prevent cliques or exclusionary behavior. SSI is partnered with the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) to deliver LAC services in Sydney and South West Sydney in NSW. The LAC program supports people aged 9 - 65 to access and navigate the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) and other mainstream services in the community.

Find out how SSI Local Area Coordinators can support you to connect with supports in your community, and help organisations become more accessible and inclusive.

Visit www.ssi.org.au/services/local-area-coordination