I am pleased to announce that Jonstyle Pty Ltd and Spotlight Pty Ltd, both
from Western Australia, are the winners of the 1999 Prime Minister's Employer
of the Year Award.
The national winners were selected from State and Territory winners announced
last week.
In addition, the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) has won the Higher
Education category of the awards, and the ACT laboratories of the CSIRO
Plant Industry has won the Commonwealth agency category.
The Prime Minister's Employer of the Year Awards recognise businesses that
have demonstrated an outstanding commitment to employing people with a disability.
Jonstyle is a furniture manufacturing business
employing 14 people, seven of whom have a disability. This is the result
of the Managing Director, Dexter Tennant's personal vow to break down the
workplace barriers he has faced as a person with a disability.
Spotlight is one of Australia's largest
fabric, craft and home interior stores and employs people with disabilities
in four of its six Western Australian stores. It has developed several staff
training initiatives to ensure they reach their full employment potential.
The University of Technology employs 120
staff with a disability, 35 of whom have significant disabilities requiring
workplace adjustments. Over the last three years, UTS has initiated a Disability
Action Plan covering all aspects of university life, from access issues
to the content of academic curricula.
CSIRO Plant Industry is one of the world's
leading research organisations in plant industry science. The ACT site employs
410 people, 15 of whom have a disability and work in areas ranging from
lab technicians through to administration, trades and maintenance.
I commend them all for recognising the potential of people with disabilities,
for actively promoting workplace flexibility and providing a positive example
for businesses throughout Australia.
The government is committed to helping all Australians reach their full
potential as we move into the next century.
Our vision is for a strong and fair society that fosters economic prosperity
and independence but is also compassionate and mutually supportive.