‘Worthwhile jobs’ for disabled workers
Rachel Kessell, who works in Fairfax Media’s Wellington office, is autistic.
She had completed a course for cafe work when she was offered the job three years ago as a part-time administrator.
Kessell is quick to smile on her rounds as she diligently checks there’s nothing around the office that needs fixing.
She job-shares with Vietnamese refugee Hoa Xiong.
Fairfax Media’s Creative Spirit programme, focused on providing ‘‘real and worthwhile’’ jobs to those with intellectual disabilities won the Attitude ACC Employer Award this week, five years after the programme’s launch. Fairfax, which owns Stuff and
The Dominion Post, The Press and the Sunday Star-Times newspapers across the country, runs a signlanguage cafe, The Coffee Co-Op, and also employs several people with intellectual disabilities as part of the programme.
Corporate social responsibility manager Annamarie Jamieson had the idea for the initiative after learning that a friend’s Down syndrome daughter spent most of her days watching television.
In the office she noticed dirty cups piled in the kitchen sink.
‘‘I realised there were lots of jobs that people thought were too menial, but could be good for someone who is really taskoriented,’’ Jamieson said.
Fairfax chief executive Sinead Boucher said: ‘‘Not only has [Jamieson] worked to ensure real and worthwhile jobs are created, but her work has really helped change the culture of Fairfax and made us a much better place to work.’’
Fairfax has eight staff with intellectual disabilities. Their tasks include looking after mail, photocopiers, kitchens and meeting rooms.