​Farewell to UTS student Laura

Published 1 March 2021

This week we say goodbye to the wonderful Laura who has been with us since January. Laura joined ADNSW from UTS on a student placement to solidify her social and policy research skills. 

We spoke with Laura to find out more about her background and her work at ADNSW.

What projects have you been working on at ADNSW?

I have been working on a research report investigating community attitudes towards people with a disability and how this impacts involvement in the workforce. Specifically I have been evaluating the impact and effectiveness of domestic and international campaigns to change community attitudes towards people with disability. 

This research will hopefully assist ADNSW in the development of its own campaign or strategy to tackle negative community attitudes towards people with disability in the workplace. 

What interested you about this project?

I am interested and passionate about this project because barriers and discrimination faced by people with disability in employment is a significant issue. Additionally it was important to me as I have cerebral palsy and use a wheelchair. 

I personally faced discrimination in a previous workplace and considered filling a complaint. This combination of factors meant I immediately nominated ADNSW as my first preference for my university placement. 

What have you enjoyed most about your placement?

I’ve enjoyed so many aspects! I’ve particularly enjoyed getting to work with my supervisor in the Governance and Advice team to understand the important work and role of ADNSW to address and eliminate discrimination. I also enjoyed meeting all the different members of the organisation and building on the fantastic work of the Community Engagement, Policy, and Complaints teams. 

The only thing that I wished was possible was getting to meet and work with the team face-to-face! This wasn’t possible unfortunately due to COVID-19. 

Ultimately I have loved my time working with ADNSW. I will utilise the skills I’ve learned on this placement for my studies and future opportunities in the workplace.