Latrobe Community Health Service (LCHS), is the National Disability Insurance Scheme Partner in the Community for Inner East Melbourne, and they are calling on businesses to get in touch.

Employees and customers with disability represent a substantial opportunity to business. 

Improving access to and within businesses for people with disabilities provides opportunities for positive change by:

• Enabling businesses to open to 20% more customers (approximately 1 in 5 people have a disability and 1 in 3 people are close to a person with a disability) and
• Enabling increased participation for people with disabilities in their communities.
• When organisations make their recruitment processes and workplaces barrier-free to people with disability, they ensure that all potential employees with the relevant skills, qualifications and experience can be hired and do their best work. Diversity attracts and retains from the widest possible talent pool and employees in inclusive workplaces are likely to be more engaged, motivated, and productive. Employees will also stay with your business for longer.
• Having employees with disability can help you to understand what your customers with disability may need and give you an edge over your competitors. In addition, a workforce that reflects the diversity of the wider community is likely to lead to greater customer loyalty and satisfaction.

LCHS are wanting to learn more about what accessibility features you have in place at your business to enable access for people with disabilities as customers, volunteers, and employees, and how LCHS can assist to build on the accessibility of your business.

To get in touch with Frances Riggs, Senior Community Development and Capacity Building Coordinator, please phone 0438 095 178 or email frances.riggs@ndis.gov.au