Sammi built confidence, found meaningful work and now lives independently with support from Social Futures' Inclusive Employment Australia program. Her story shows how the right workplace support and inclusive employers can help people with disability achieve their goals.
Thirty-four-year-old Sammi is living life on her own terms. She recently moved into her own home in Dubbo, she has a job she loves, a growing list of skills, and a dream holiday to save for. Getting to this place, however, took courage, support and a belief in herself that she didn’t always have.
Sammi lives with Autism and Cerebral Palsy and describes herself as a slow learner. “It takes me a while to learn a job,” she says. “But I finally get there.”
Before she connected with Social Futures’ Inclusive Employment Australia (IEA) program, life looked different for Sammi. She lived on a farm outside Dubbo with her dad, where getting to appointments meant catching a ride on the local school bus. She was isolated, and she felt the people around her doubted what she could do.
“No one believed I could get a job because of my disability,” Sammi says. “People would tell me that I wouldn’t survive in a job. I didn’t have a lot of support until I came to Social Futures.
Sammi was determined to build a life of her own.
“I didn’t want to spend my whole life having other people do everything for me,” she says.
Sammi applied for a job at KFC and was thrilled when she got it. But she soon discovered that landing a job and keeping it are two different things. Sammi realised she needed support with communicating her needs, so she reached out to Social Futures’ Inclusive Employment Australia program.
The team helped her find her feet at work and find confidence she didn’t know she had. The team also works with employers to help them understand what adjustments can be made to support people with disability in the workplace.
“I just love all the support that Social Futures gives me, they’ve been able to listen,” Sammi says. “It’s just like I have a Social Futures family.”
The early days at KFC were challenging for Sammi. Because she has a hidden disability and appears confident and capable, people can often assume she doesn’t need any extra help. Sammi also experiences anxiety and she found it difficult to advocate for herself. “I was scared to speak up before,” she says.
Social Futures IEA Team Leader Terri-Lee Baker and the team worked closely with Sammi and her employer. They put workplace arrangements in place and made sure Sammi had a supervisor she felt comfortable with. They also helped managers and crew better understand Sammi’s individual needs, so everyone knew how to help her succeed at work.
“The KFC team have been great to work with. They really wanted to learn and understand how best to work with Sammi so she can do her job well,” said Terri-Lee.
The shift has been remarkable. “All we get is positive things from work,” Terri-Lee says. Sammi now texts the team after every shift to share how her day went.
“In the last three or four months, she’s actually saying, ‘I’m so proud of myself. I can’t believe how good I am.’ She’s never said that before,” Terri-Lee says. “That actually brings tears to my eyes. I’m very proud of her.”
Sammi’s list of wins keeps growing. She feels confident at her work with KFC where she helps with serving customers, cleaning, and packing meals. Recently she learned new skills cooking the potato and gravy.
“I’m also good at greeting people when they come in,” she says.
Sammi now lives independently and is six months into renting her own place. She has learned to cook using her air fryer and slow cooker, has taught herself to catch Ubers and buses, and she was recently successful in her application for a second job at Coles. Her goal is to save for a holiday with seeing Disney on Ice, and a trip to the Royal Easter Show at the top of her wish list.
“Having that support at work, it means a lot to me. I’ve come a long way,” Sammi says. “It just grows me as a person, I feel like I’ve grown confidence.”
Sammi says work for her is more than just a pay cheque. “I like getting out and doing things, being around people so I’m not stuck in my own bubble,” she says.
“She is strong and determined,” Terri-Lee says, “She’s done really well.”
Social Futures’ Inclusive Employment Australia program supports people with disability, injury or health conditions to prepare for, find and keep meaningful work, while partnering with employers to build more inclusive workplaces.
To find a Social Futures Inclusive Employment Australia office near you, visit socialfutures.org.au/iea or call 1800 719 625.
