A New Lease Of Life For Disabled Workers

Sydney Morning Herald

Sunday September 20, 1992

By MONIQUE FARMER

THE Spastic Centre of NSW is training 14 people with severe physical disabilities in small-business management and computer skills so the group can run a bookkeeping and data entry business.

The business, which is expected to open in early November, will be located in a shopfront in the Manly-Warringah area. At standard commercial rates, the group will offer data entry, general ledger, payroll, invoicing and inventory services to local businesses.

A senior rehabilitation counsellor at the Spastic Centre and co-ordinator of the employment development unit, Peter Marino, said the scheme was important because it would allow the 14 people to work more independently.

"It's really exciting for these people," said Marino. "Most have been in institutions all their lives or have gone through school and have been at home not doing anything because they've not been able to gain access to a mainstream training program or a job. And now they have the opportunity to go into their own business."

Marino said the scheme is supported by the centre, which is leasing the premises for the franchise and providing an able-bodied business specialist as supervisor, while the Department of Employment, Education and Training (DEET)has provided funds for training.

In addition, Sydney companies such as Business As Usual, Express Bookkeeping, MBA Marketing and Achievement Concepts have helped train the 14 participants at discounted rates.

"It's quite a big challenge for the group, particularly in this economic climate. But we're confident they'll be able to get it up and going," said Marino, who is hoping the Prime Minister, Mr Keating, will open the business officially.

"Already we've had two companies come to us after hearing about the program and they're looking at having the franchise take on their accounts and data entry work."

One of the scheme participants, 24-year-old Paul Thorburn, said he was looking forward to the opening of the business. He had previously worked part-time at the Spastic Centre.

"I've always been into computers but through this course I've been learning a lot more about them. We're going to be running the business for ourselves, and making business decisions and that is really good," said Thorburn, who has chosen to specialise in data entry.

"For me, independence is one of the most important parts of my life, and to be working off-site of the Spastic Centre has made it so much easier to get that independence."

Ted Shirley, 45, who is specialising in bookkeeping, said he had spent 28 years working at the Spastic Centre plus had taken some TAFE courses before participating in the scheme.

"To move off-site and work in my own little business will be very interesting and quite a change after working in a factory situation at the Spastic Centre."

For more information about the program contact Peter Marino at the Spastic Centre on (02) 451 5555.

* Some months ago we wrote about the Spastic Centre's Computer Access Into Industry Scheme, in which people with severe multiple and physical disabilities were trained in word processing, desktop publishing and accounts and placed in part-time employment in the community rather than in a sheltered workshop.

A 12-week training program ended one month ago and already eight of the 14 participants have found jobs, many in the hospitality industry.

Peter Marino said the interest and co-operation of employers and support by DEET ensured a similar scheme would be run again next year.