Flexible work arrangements to support employees with cognitive disability

Emma Wood, Northcott’s Research, Innovation and Engagement Officer, has a unique role. She works alongside Northcott’s Community Research Officers, Hannah and Tyra, who, as part of an external research project, are sharing their lived experience perspectives as young adults with cognitive disability. We asked Emma about how she supports Hannah and Tyra with flexible work arrangements and specifically, what was involved in making sure their recent work trip to Adelaide – a first for Hannah and Tyra – was a success.

What does your role entail in respect to working with Hannah and Tyra?

I work alongside Hannah and Tyra every Thursday on pieces of work that require their lived experience expertise. This could be anything from helping them with Easy Read document translations to helping them plan workshops and create presentations for the external research project they are involved in.

One of the really interesting things I did recently was to travel to Adelaide with Hannah and Tyra to meet the rest of their research team and take part in workshops and meetings. This was the first time Hannah and Tyra have travelled for work – and the first time I have supported colleagues with intellectual disability to do something like this.

What are some things you had to approach differently to support Hannah and Tyra on the trip?

It was important for us as a team to start planning as early as possible. Accounting for things that may not go as expected, such as flight delays and planning for bad weather, was also essential to the smooth running of the trip. If I was travelling alone, I wouldn’t be too worried about these types of issues, but I knew it would matter for Hannah and Tyra.

It was also important to both Hannah and Tyra that they had a clear outline of what each day looked like from start to finish. As a team, we put together a trip itinerary that gave us a good idea of what would be happening each day.

The importance of having some ‘down time’ each day was highlighted, so incorporating that in between meetings and group workshops was also essential.

Every employee has something unique that they add to both their teams and the organisation. Having Hannah and Tyra as members of the research team with lived experience has been invaluable. I can’t wait to see the contributions they continue to make for the remainder of the project and into their future careers.

Emma

How did the trip go? What went well? What didn’t go as well as planned?

Overall, the trip was a great success! After months of working online with the rest of the research team, it was fantastic to be able to meet and work with them in person. This was definitely the highlight!

Our flight from Sydney to Adelaide was slightly delayed and a late gate change at the airport made things a little bit stressful for a minute. But the stress was short lived and didn’t dampen the overall experience at all. All our planning paid off!

Hannah and Tyra told us they both had a great time – how does that make you feel to know you helped to make it a success for them?

It’s incredibly reassuring to know that they not only enjoyed themselves but also learned a lot. It’s great that all the planning and organisation put us in great stead for this trip and any future trips we make as a team.

What is something you learnt from this experience of supporting colleagues with cognitive disability?

While I may be able to hit the ground running on a 5:30am flight and not take a minute to myself until 9pm, not everyone is either comfortable or capable of this. This trip really highlighted the importance of making the most of each moment and interaction. Slowing down the pace of everything means you have the opportunity to learn and experience more than if you were frantically running around trying to get everything done in a shorter space of time!

Without Hannah and Tyra’s involvement, the trip would have no doubt been rushed, with everything fit into a day or less. Instead, the trip ran over 3 days. This gave us plenty of time to be present and engaged in our work meetings while also giving us time to soak in the sights and sounds of Adelaide.

What tips can you give other people who are supporting colleagues with a disability?

Check in with your colleagues regularly to make sure the way you operate as a team is giving everyone the opportunity to be their best at work. If it means creating more flexible work arrangements, do it!