Events

Industry Round Table Event

The project team (CI: Dr Ashok Manoharan, Co-Cis: Dr Claire Hutchinson, and Associate Prof. Janice Jones) organized a roundtable event on 5 May 2023 to co-design a toolkit for Hospitality small to medium size enterprises (SMEs) to support the employment of people with intellectual disability. The event was attended by the industry’s peak bodies, disability employment providers, hospitality managers, and other stakeholders. Dr Ashok Manoharan welcomed the invitees and presented a brief overview of the project.

Three presentations opened the event:    

· An overview of the legal aspects of employing people with intellectual disabilities (Owen Webb, Manager Workplace Relations, Australian Hotels Association, South Australia)

· The role of Clubs SA and the potential for members to employ people with intellectual disabilities (Mike Penfold, CEO Clubs SA)

· How can Disability Employment providers support SMEs with the employment of people with intellectual disabilities? (Danielle Broadway Operations Manager – Open Employment, Barkuma)

Dr Claire Hutchinson presented the research findings. The three round table groups provided valuable input to support the development of the toolkit resources. This information included the types of information SMEs need to know when they are considering employing a person with an intellectual disability, the most accessible format for these businesses, and the method of distribution that would support the widest dissemination of the toolkit and resources to the sector. Associate Prof. Janice Jones concluded the session by presenting the next step of the project.