Website for disabled acts as employment agency

Website for disabled acts as employment agency for all

Beverley Grammer is a young disabled business woman on a mission. That mission is to create a comprehensive website covering everything to do with living life to the full with a disability and she is well on the way with the recent launch of her website up2date.co.nz.

One of the key features of the website is its online employment service whereby people looking for support work can register their interest for free, and people looking to employ support workers can subscribe for a nominal fee. No previous experience or formal qualifications may be necessary for many employers, making this an ideal way to get into a new career or back into the workforce.

“Finding support staff is often a necessity when you’re living with a disability, yet the reality is that it can be very difficult to recruit,” said Bev. “Traditionally I’ve found the process to be frustrating and costly, so I decided there had to be a better solution.”

Once Bev got on a roll there was no stopping her, so in addition to the employment database she has also added a discussion forum, an online shop, and an online classified featuring situations vacant, buy, sell & exchange and a general advertising category.

“This is definitely not a fringe website of services for disabled people but more about an online community hub, featuring services, and initiatives to support the community. We have so much knowledge and so many skills in our country we just need to share them,” Bev said.

Others in the disabilities sector have endorsed Bev’s initiative.

“Traditionally finding disability related services, information, equipment, and support staff has been like trying to navigate a maze or in order to access a service we have had to go to specialised places and services to get ordinary things and so www.up2date.co.nz is about making this stuff ordinary and accessible” said Wendy Neilson, J.P. M. Ed (Hons) Dip Tch
Bev is delighted with the initial feedback she is receiving, but the real payback for her will be when people see up2date as an integral part of their everyday internet experience.

“I am determined to grow up2date in accordance with the disability community’s requirements which is why I’ve made it so interactive from the outset,” she said. “I am currently in discussions with all sorts of businesses and organisations who provide a community service, inviting them to come on board to profile themselves. What better way to target the hundreds of thousands of people in the disabilities sector?” said Bev.

Bev urges disabled people and their families & friends to make the site their own, by using the forums to ask questions and share information. You are also invited to give feedback on the site and request things that are useful so that the site can evolve and become even more relevant. If you are a business looking to increase your profile to this sector, then please contact Bev directly on bev@up2date.co.nz and she can supply a free information pack.

ENDS

© Scoop Media