Lizzie works two days per week doing a ‘tea towel run’ for local businesses in Perth. With the assistance of her Mum and mentors from Inclusion wa, Lizzie visits 9 businesses. She collects their dirty tea towels and delivers beautifully cleaned, ironed and folded tea towels, straight to their kitchen. Lizzie spends one day per week doing the deliveries (with an essential hot chocolate stop on the way) and washing and drying the tea towels. The next day, Lizzie irons, folds and packs the tea towels ready for the following week.

Lizzie operates her tea towel run as a branch of Heather’s Tea Towels, which she was connected with via her Coordinator at Inclusion wa. Lizzie is a young lady with cerebral palsy but this has not haltered the progress with her employment goals. Although the job is all about the tea towels, there’s a lot more to it than that. Lizzie is learning to organise her day, she practices her reading and writing skills as she writes her delivery list, her social skills get a work out as she often stops for a chat with staff at the businesses we visit, she deals with money as she also purchases kitchen items, such as milk for the businesses. The skills Lizzie is learning have come in handy in other areas of Lizzie’s life, particularly, her role as a volunteer. Lizzie helps out at an animal sanctuary, where her ironing skills have been put to use preparing the animals’ bedding.

Lizzie tells me that having a job makes her feel happy, she gets satisfaction from her job knowing she is helping people. Providing the businesses with this service means a hassle free kitchen for the business and a meaningful role for Lizzie in her community. Who knows where the skills she is learning will lead her in future.

‘I’m having so much fun’ Iva says as I assist her with hanging the clothing onto the racks.

Iva is a gentle, creative young lady who excels at piano and colouring.

When I met Iva, she wanted to contribute and be part of her community doing something that she loved doing... although she didn’t know what this was yet.

She had already decided that she would prefer to volunteer, as she said that paid employment would be too stressful at this point.

Iva has Autism and is highly anxious with meeting new people and in new situations.

Through exploring Iva’s different interests and talents, we wrote a list of possible positions we could research into for a volunteering position.

This did take time, but through this exploration Iva found the position that was perfect for her.

Iva volunteers three hours a week for Anglicare op shop. With the support of the Autism Association of Western Australia and the staff at Anglicare, Iva has slowly become more confident and competent with her tasks.

Iva’s tasks include;

- sorting through DVD’s and CD’s, discarding the scratched ones

- Hanging up clothes and tagging them, waiting to be priced

- Putting the priced clothes into their appropriate place, colour coordinated and neatly, within in the shop

Iva has learnt many skills during her time at Anglicare. For example, she is now confident to go out onto the shop floor and talk to the manager independently.

Iva’s goal at Anglicare is to eventually greet the customers and learn the till.

It is great to see how far Iva has come over such a short time through her volunteering at Anglicare. It is exciting to see Iva grow each week, I feel privileged to be a part of her journey.

Stuart Carrick is a young guy from Margaret River, who has a passion for conservation and organic food production. He has completed various studies in horticulture and volunteers at the local community garden.

After securing a plot of land close to Margaret River, and with the support of Enable Southwest’s MOBI ‘My Own Business Initiative’ program that Stuart was able to access through his NDIS plan, he has started his own enterprise called, ‘Sunny in Marg’s Nursery’.

Stuart has had to overcome many obstacles due to long term health issues to achieve his dream of the organic nursery and admits that he couldn’t have done it without the support of his plan and Enable. He has tried a number of traditional forms of employment however, having the flexibility and the understanding of employers around his disability has proven to be an ongoing issue.

Stuarts innovative thinking and drive, partnered with Enable’s MOBI program and his support workers provided through his NDIS plan have been the reason for his success. Stuart now lives independently, still volunteers at the community garden and has now gained the confidence to get involved with a local theatre group. He has worked hard on his fitness and is living the best life he can. He attributes this to the support that he has received through the MyWay NDIS trial plans and his current NDIS plan and his work with MOBI.

Karla Little has always loved animals but never imagined she would run her own business – a dog sitting service. Karla, who has intellectual disability, cerebral palsy and epilepsy, has been part of the WA NDIS in the Cockburn–Kwinana area for about a year when the My Way pilot began in the Spearwood area, where her very first independent bachelorette pad was located. Karla’s My Way Coordinator and service provider worked with her to help break her dreams into 12 goals. One of these goals was finding employment. Karla went to countless job service providers but could not see herself in any of these positions. Her dream job came to reality in 2015 with the support of NDIS and Life Without Barriers who helped her identify and built on her strengths and turned her love of animals into her very own dog sitting and walking business. She then drew up a flyer and advertised online and did a letter drop to attract customers to get her business up and going.“I never imagined I would own my own business - a dog sitting service. People say being around them brings me out of my shell, and I suppose they might be right”. Karla now has regular customers, who she walks through the week with support and also has regular customers, who she looks after when their owners go away for the weekend or on holiday. One of Karla’s clients provided a testimonial, recommending her services: “I was a little apprehensive leaving my dog for two weeks with anyone! I definitely felt more at ease knowing Karla would have Dim Sim inside for cuddles and comfort and be able to walk him twice a day.

“She would send me photos and videos most days, which always put a smile on my face to see him so happy and loved. "My next goal I’m currently in the process of achieving is obtaining my driver’s license so I can build on my growing business and be completely independent in my employment".

"In my “dream world” my average day would be to finish a days work. Go home and pick up my dog and drive my car to where my horse is agisted and have a ride. Honestly with the help of NDIS I can see myself getting there".

Dwayne is a 16 year old young man with a passion for motocross and all things with engines, and lives with an intellectual disability.

Dwayne left school last year as he didn’t think it was for him, and he wanted to get a job and to make some money.

Dwayne is not yet eligible to be supported by a Disability Employment Service (DES) Provider, but receives individualised support from Inclusion WA. They provide him with a personal mentor to teach skills, guide him to master tasks related to his work, and support him during work times. His mentor supported Dwayne to discover what he likes and what a day’s work involves. In March 2016, Dwayne was able to start a paid work trial in a Boat storage yard, and the employer was so happy with him that they gave him his first job, four hours a week.

Dwayne performs a range of tasks at work, including labouring work, cleaning and sweeping up, moving furniture from different storage units, and garden maintenance. He has been supported to get a tax file number, set up his own email and his own bank accounts. He is now planning to get trained on using heavy machinery so he can get a full-time job.

The job Dwayne, his employer and his support have created has given him purpose and meaning. The job he does is important for the people he works with, and he has become a valued and well loved member of the team. With the support of Dwayne’s mentor, other employees have now started to actively support Dwayne, meaning inclusion WA have been able to redirect some of his support to other areas of his life.