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Converting complex written and online content into easy read format to provide accessibility for all

In partnership with Blend Creative, Maven has translated multiple documents for the Strong & Capable group into easy read format. Documents include reports, legal frameworks, animation scripts, flyers, and online blogs.

“Recently they [Palladium] translated a document full of legal terms and difficult topics and turned it into a remarkable document that lost none of its intent or substance. We could not have been more delighted, and it is now my ​‘go to’ document rather than the more formal legal one.”   Lis Burtnik, Project Manager, Strong & Capable Group

PhysioXtra staff participated in Maven’s face-to-face tailored disability awareness training.

Training content included disability models and language, how to guide someone who is blind, how to conduct informal access and inclusion checks and how to manage common customer service scenarios for people with disability. Participants included Senior Managers, Customer Service and Admin staff and allied health clinicians.

“The real life experiences that Michael and Charles could relay to us were extremely valuable as a learning tool.”   Training participant

Triathlon Australia participated in a 2 hour online Disability Foundational Training session

The content for Triathlon Australia included definitions, intersectionality and prevalence of disability, models and language used to describe disability, how to check for social model barriers and conduct informal access and inclusion checks and top tips for communicating and interacting with people with disability.

The training was deemed to be highly effective with all participants reporting to have found the training valuable and to have learnednt something new. They also reported that the training worked well in an online modality.

Further results:
Participants rated their knowledge and skills after completing the training in how to work with people with disability as an average of 9 out of 10.

Their confidence in communicating with people with disability increased to 7 out of 10.

Overall participants rated Maven’s training as an average of 10 out of 10, with no participant rating the training as lower than 8 out of 10.

“A big thank you from myself and the team. It was an outstanding session and I have had some great conversations and feedback post the training.” Triathlon Australia training coordinator

Maven conducted an accessibility and inclusion technology and computer service assessment for an ABC International Development employee with a disability.

To do this, Maven’s disability inclusion adviser established rapport with the employee through talking about their lived experience of a similar disability and the types of accessibility technology that assists them to participate fully in work.

Following the Maven assessment, a report was generated listing the key recommendations for reasonable adjustments and technology to support the employee in their role.

“The report will enable us to move forward and make a decision about what equipment our staff member needs,” ABC ID Project Manager

22 staff completed two -day face-to-face training

After taking part in Maven’s two-day face-to-face disability awareness training, 22 Relationships Australia SA staff increased their confidence in working with someone with disability by an average of 4 points. Furthermore, 100% of participants rated the training as 8⁄10 or higher.

Maven delivered tailor-made disability awareness training on how to create services and a workplace that is inclusive and accommodating towards people with disability.

Topics covered included:

• Disability language
• Communication skills
• Concept of ​‘Help’
• Easy English
• Abuse, neglect and trauma
• Models of disability
• Access and inclusion checks and solutions
• Misuse of images for inspiration

Most sessions were facilitated by Maven staff with lived experience of disability. This enabled the participants to gain first-hand understanding of the barriers faced by people with disability in the workplace and when accessing services. Participant testimonials in the post-training evaluation indicated that this was a key strength of Maven’s training.

“It really helped in broadening my understanding of the things I need to think about and how to make the service accessible and inclusive.” Training participant.

Ni-Vanuatu mother, advocate and athlete Elie Enock wants to show the world that having a disability is not an obstacle to success.

For the last 5 years Elie has done this through her sporting career, representing Vanuatu in shot put in the 2022 Commonwealth Games and in javelin at the 2019 Pacific Games and World Para Athletics Championships.

Now, she has joined the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme and is using the opportunity to promote the rights of people with a disability in the workplace.