We write a lot about the NDIS from the participant’s side. But one of the scheme’s core goals, helping people with disability find and keep work, depends heavily on a group we rarely talk to: employers. Many small and medium businesses are open to hiring someone with disability but quietly worry about cost, adjustments and getting it wrong. Most don’t know how much free help exists. Here’s the plain-language guide.
The Employment Assistance Fund
The Employment Assistance Fund is a free Australian Government service, run through JobAccess, that helps pay for workplace changes so an employee with disability can do their job. It can reimburse the employer or the employee for the costs of work-related equipment and modifications.
That can include building modifications such as ramps, automatic doors and lighting changes, assistive technology and software such as screen readers or hearing loop systems, modifications to work vehicles where the vehicle is essential to the job, and Auslan interpreting for work activities and job interviews.
To be eligible, the employee generally needs to work at least eight hours a week in a role expected to last 13 weeks or more. It’s available for people about to start a job as well as those already working, and for self-employed people.
The Free Workplace Assessment
If you’re not sure what changes would help, JobAccess can arrange a free workplace assessment. An assessment is usually needed for funding requests over $1,000 and for any building modification. It takes the guesswork out, and it means the adjustments you make are the ones that actually work.
How the NDIS Fits In
This is where employers often get confused. The NDIS and the Employment Assistance Fund do different jobs.
The NDIS funds the person. If your employee is an NDIS participant, their plan may include supports in employment, such as a job coach or on-the-job support, or capacity building to help them find and keep work. Those are arranged through the participant’s plan, not by you.
The Employment Assistance Fund funds the workplace. Changes to the workplace itself, and equipment needed to do the job, generally sit with the employer, and that’s what the fund is designed to help cover.
It’s also worth knowing that supports in employment are among the critical supports protected from the NDIS participation budget reset beginning on 1 October, so employees relying on on-the-job support shouldn’t see that affected by the reset.
Beyond the Money
A few practical points make hiring go well. Ask the person what they need rather than guessing, since most adjustments are simple and many cost nothing. Focus on the job’s genuine requirements rather than how it has always been done. And if the employee has an NDIS job coach or employment support worker, work with them, because they’re there to help both of you.
The government’s disability employment program, Inclusive Employment Australia, can also help with recruitment and ongoing support, and some employers may be eligible for wage subsidies.
How to Get Started
Call JobAccess on 1800 464 800 for free, confidential advice, or apply for the Employment Assistance Fund online. JobAccess can walk you through eligibility, arrange an assessment, and explain what can be reimbursed. Full details are on the JobAccess Employment Assistance Fund page.
The Bottom Line
If cost is what’s holding your business back from hiring someone with disability, the Employment Assistance Fund can cover much of it, from equipment and software to building changes and Auslan, with a free workplace assessment to work out what’s needed. The NDIS funds the person’s own supports, including on-the-job help, while the fund covers the workplace. Call JobAccess on 1800 464 800 and find out what’s available before assuming it’s too hard. This is general information, not legal, employment or business advice.
Epik Wire covers the NDIS in plain language for participants, families, providers and employers. Subscribe to our newsletter to stay informed.
