Chance to work big step for Joy

By ELEANOR BLACK

The smile never leaves Joy Muir's face as she bends to her task, folding towels in neat squares and stacking them as high as her head.

The intellectually disabled Rotorua woman loves her part-time work at Taylors commercial laundry, where she is known for her efficiency and infectious good mood.

Although 42 and quite capable of following instructions, socialising with co-workers and remembering to bring the cheese sandwiches she makes for lunch each day, it is her first job.

Members of the disabled persons' advocacy group Federation of Vocational and Support Services point to cases like Joy's with a mixture of satisfaction and frustration, saying there just are not enough success stories.

With that in mind the organisation, which held a national meeting in Rotorua last week, is developing guidelines for the ethical treatment of disabled employees.

Mike Gourley, a physically disabled Radio New Zealand presenter who helped write a report on the experience of the estimated 16,000 blind, wheelchair-bound, deaf and mentally impaired Kiwis who desperately want to work, said the biggest hurdle they faced was employers' failure to listen.

Mr Gourley, who was born with only one, stunted arm, spent the 10 years after he left secondary school in 1974 trying to persuade a series of reluctant employers to take him on. An articulate and engaging person, he found his talents were submerged by his disability.

"It's part of my reality - I just don't want to be reduced to it," he said.

His struggle was reminiscent of many stories he had heard since starting work on the VASS project in April.

"There are people frustrated because they cannot go out into the community and perform, due to discrimination. They want the chance to move out into the real world."

The report he co-authored with researcher Wendi Wicks found that people with disabilities and the providers of services which help them enter the workforce were uncomfortable with legislation favouring "sheltered workshops" rather than jobs in the open workplace.

They supported Government-subsidised wages as a way of making them more attractive employees and said the worst part of looking for work was instant discrimination.

Joy Muir is one of the lucky ones.

"Look at that smile. How could you not want to have that around?" says Taylors laundry service area manager Peter Mumby.

"Everyone needs a chance, just one. People will always surprise you."