As we all come together to celebrate International Day of People with Disability, Australia Post - as one of the nation's largest employers - is proud of the work it does each and every day to embed inclusivity and provide adjusted roles in its workforce.
With 6.5% of its team members identifying as living with a disability, Australia Post is proudly an accredited Disability Confident Recruiter. Reasonable workplace adjustments are offered from the very start of a team member's journey, including in the initial recruitment process.
Applied adjustments have seen Deaf team members become postal officers and forklift drivers, and vision impaired team members provide administrative and customer service support to Australians all around the country.
Earlier this year, Australia Post was recognised as the Top Performer in the Australian Disability Network's (AusDN) Access and Inclusion Index. This was the second time Australia Post has achieved the number one ranking from AusDN, the peak Australian body helping employers build accessibility and inclusion.
Australia Post Executive General Manager People & Culture, Susan Davies, said Australia Post strives to reflect the communities it serves and is proud of the contribution all team members make.
"Our people have helped shape our approach on access and inclusion via our 'Accessibility Matters' employee resource group.
"The passion these team members have for ensuring our strategy helps every person, whatever their ability, to join our workplace and have meaningful employment is enormous.
"Whether they're contributing based on lived experience or simply helping drive equitable access for all as an ally, these critical insights help inform our strategy and decisions. The best outcome is that these team members often stay with Post, grow their career and become mentors and ambassadors for the next generation," Ms Davies said.
Sam Quinn, a People Leader at a Melbourne facility is one of Australia Post's ambassadors. As a Deaf team member who started with Australia Post 25 years ago, Sam has helped pave the way for others, supported by a Diversity Manager.
"The team was open to receiving all of my feedback, the full A to Z of the barriers I'd faced in the workplace, and we decided to work together to improve things - not just for me but for everyone.
"Attending key meetings with an interpreter has helped me feel included as part of the team, just like any other leader. I also use technology for everyday communication on the floor, and my team now sees this as completely standard," Mr Quinn said.
