May 12, 2025 • 17 mins
Deciding if, when and how to disclose your blindness or low vision when you’re at work is a decision that is totally up to you.
Listen on as we break down what disclosure actually means for you.
Special guest speaker: Fiona Herron, Commonwealth Bank organisational development lead.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
S1 (00:05):
Hi and welcome to season two of the Vision Australia podcast,
The Career Path. Today we're exploring when and how to
disclose your eye condition during the job application process. We'll
cover different scenarios, debunk common myths, and help you approach
the hiring process with confidence. I'm Sam Culley, your host
(00:27):
and Vision Australia Radio's community assistant for national programs. I'm
thrilled to be part of this series where we'll be
helping people in the blind and low vision community feel confident, capable,
and ready to crush it in their careers. This episode
will be recorded, so feel free to hit pause, take
(00:49):
a breather, and come back to it whenever works for you.
You can find all the episodes by searching Vision Australia's
The Career Path on your go to podcast platform. Today
I'm excited to be joined by Fiona Herron, organizational development
lead at the Commonwealth Bank. For part one of our
(01:12):
chat about disclosure. Welcome, Fiona.
S2 (01:16):
Hi, Sam, thanks for having me.
S1 (01:18):
And thank you very much for being here. Now, firstly, Fay,
let's jump into the topic of disclosure. How can someone
with vision loss determine the right time to disclose their
vision condition during the job application process?
S2 (01:36):
It's such an important point to get to. It really
differs for different people where you're at on your sort
of vision acceptance journey. And I think it's also up
to the employer to kind of let you know what's
happening during the recruitment process, so you can understand where
you might experience a barrier. But I have been kind
of on all sides of that. I've done a lot
(01:56):
of recruitment, I've done a lot of interviewing, and I'm
really at a point in my life where I want to, like,
loudly and proudly share it. Because there's going to be
times when you need other people to know about that.
So particularly if you're meeting your who's going to be
your people leader, it's really helpful to let them know
up front so they can try to be as supportive
(02:18):
as possible. You know, we're setting other people up for
failure to let us down if we're not bringing them
on the journey with us. So I'm a big encourager
of it, which is funny because, you know, this time
a year ago, even I was I really struggled to
talk about this, but definitely during recruitment I tried to
always share it. It's then once you're in the role
(02:38):
and how things go, I wasn't so open about it,
but it's quite life changing to really embrace it and
make it part of who you are.
S1 (02:46):
When people are sort of jumping into this sort of thing,
there's no doubt a few fears, a few concerns that
they might have. So how can focusing on your strengths
and accomplishments help overcome this fear of disclosing a vision condition.
S2 (03:04):
It's so critical to it, really. That's been how I've
kind of approached it. I felt like really thinking about
my strengths and also my values. It really helped me
align like I really value being authentic and having a
bit of a laugh. I'm quite like to, you know,
inject a bit of humor. And so when I wasn't
talking about it or when I talked about it in
(03:26):
a somber, serious way, which sometimes it needs to be,
it can be a really an emotional topic. But realizing
for myself, like being able to make a joke about
it or say something kind of light heartedly and let
other people know it's okay to then ask questions and
those sorts of things. So thinking about it in how
(03:47):
you sort of value how you communicate, but then also
playing it up as well, like it's such a strength
for me. I know this isn't the case for all
people with low vision or blindness, but I have really
great hearing. So I sort of really lean into that
a lot, as that can be a real strength because
I sort of got like moderate low vision. And my
peripheral vision is 2020 due to the macular degeneration that
(04:09):
I have. And so through that, the way I sort
of view things, I can identify things that are out
of pattern or out of sort quite quickly as well.
So if I'm skimming over something I can really see
or out of the corner of my eye, see, really well,
there's an error somewhere, or this isn't lined up or
that sort of thing. So there's all sorts of little
things and it's yeah, it just sort of adds to it.
And being able to be your real self lets other
(04:30):
people kind of know that strength about you as well.
And it doesn't have to be kind of a taboo subject.
S1 (04:35):
And fee, I guess. Following on from that a little bit,
what were your biggest worries and concerns before disclosing your
vision loss at work and what ultimately led you to share?
S2 (04:48):
Mm. Been reflecting on that a little bit because honestly,
the first time coming back to like the main topic
of the episode, disclosing during recruitment, the very first time
I did that was about seven years ago. Right about now,
to be honest. And I genuinely thought they were going
to retract the offer. I hadn't disclosed it during the recruitment,
but when I was completing that new starter paperwork, there
(05:12):
was a question and I can't even remember what the
question was. But I remember being like, oh, I've had
these struggles and it's always really frustrating to like, tell
my boss once I've started and that I don't know
what to ask for. So why do I need to
tell them that I have a condition when I don't
know how they can help? So I was really in
that spiral and I then filled out that new starter paperwork.
(05:33):
But because it had been, I hadn't shared it during
the recruitment, the manager was trying to understand and I
honestly was convinced for like two weeks they were just
going to be like, sorry, you can't work.
S1 (05:42):
Here.
S2 (05:43):
But spoiler alert, that was at commbank and I still
work there seven years later.
S1 (05:47):
So there.
S2 (05:47):
You go. That worked out well.
S1 (05:49):
It did. Sounds like it for sure.
S2 (05:51):
And it's been really scary. So that kind of was
a catalyst to go, okay, that wasn't so scary or
it was very scary, but I got through it. It
wasn't so hard, I suppose. And then so it was
just kind of chipped away and taking a little step
each time, you know, when I met different people. So
my boss knew that. So he tried to really have
inclusive meetings, and it was sort of my first taste
of that and doing projects and seeing how people can
(06:14):
find ways to support that, I can't think of was
sort of a nice taste of like, oh, I don't
have to have the solution. I can just tell people,
I can't read that thing that you're showing me. And
then so they're like, oh, I can just read it
out loud as we do this, or how about we
project it up on the screen and make it bigger,
like just other people thinking of how to overcome barriers
(06:34):
was my sort of my first experience of that. So
that was really great. And then it's just been bit
by bit going, okay, oh yeah, I'm going to tell
people during recruitment or tell people, you know, I did
I've done a lot of onboarding of other people. So
telling other new starters and being one of the signposts
that like, hey, you can be yourself here too, and
you can share these things and then. Yeah, really sort
(06:56):
of slowly just stepping a little bit more into the
light and owning the narrative and now seeing how much
quicker I can kind of get up to speed in
work or feel comfortable in participating. All of that is
now like, I can't imagine going backwards now because I
feel so much more able to concentrate on what I'm
there to do, rather than the stress and anxiety of like, okay,
(07:18):
there's this other layer, and do I tell people and
that sort of thing I can enjoy now, like a
comfort of, I can talk about it if I want
to or I need to, but it's also out there
as information, so I don't feel like I have to
unless there's something. So it's a bit more. I feel
a bit more in control of the story.
S1 (07:34):
I'm keen to jump over to a bit more of
the legal side of things now. So, um, when is
it legally necessary to disclose your vision condition during the
job application process, and how should it be approached, I mean,
from your perspective, but I guess from a legal standpoint
(07:55):
as well.
S2 (07:56):
Yeah, I'm not an expert in this field. So like
all the asterisks around this, this is just mostly my
opinion and a little bit of experience in work I've
done in in HR over the last 17 years. It's
about what the job you're applying for is if the
part of the role is a requirement for a driver's
license and you don't hold a driver's license, that's going
to be really legally necessary to talk about that, and
(08:18):
you're probably not eligible for that role. I think that's
kind of the main one. So again, it comes back
to the employer being really clear about what's the requirements
or inherent requirements is a term that's used a lot
as well of what's going to be required in the role.
So from my viewpoint, that's kind of the main part
of it. I don't know if you guys have other
advice on when it's legally necessary, but I think it's that, yeah,
(08:41):
if it's going to impact your ability to do the
role as it's been described, it doesn't mean you can't
necessarily apply or can't find ways to adjust how that
role is worked. I think that's that exciting conversation that
we're starting to see more movement on of. We don't
all have to do the same job in the same way.
So how can we adjust the environment so people can
get the work done? But that's a bit of a
(09:02):
different one around that, right, to request adjustments in the workplace.
S1 (09:06):
And I'd love to chat a bit more about reactions
in the workplace and the sort of support you got
after disclosing your vision condition and, you know, people getting
to know you a bit more. So how did your
workplace respond when you disclosed your vision condition? And what
surprised you about their reaction?
S2 (09:28):
Um, it's been pretty consistently. People want to try to
do the right thing. They want to help. I think
it's important to keep that in mind, that people are
trying to do their job as well. So I sort
of bring that up because it's been pretty positive of
just people being like, well, you just tell me how
I can help. And then that sort of caused me
a lot of like, oh, well, I really don't know
(09:49):
how to get what help I need. And those sorts
of things. But one thing that really caught me off
guard in a few experiences, I felt sort of like
I had to, I don't know other people in asking
questions to do the job that they need to do.
I felt kind of like, oh, this is like really
over the top. Or, you know, it's a bit unnecessary. Like,
why do they want to know all these things? And,
(10:10):
and as somebody who was quite new to sharing it,
I was like, I didn't know how to explain it
or stand up for myself or have the boundaries of like,
you know, that's actually not your business, that you need
to understand my full medical diagnosis. So it caught me
off guard, and it's been helpful to reflect on that
and think that person was trying to, you know, they're
in a realm of talking about injuries and incidents. And
(10:33):
so they do have a really medical tone naturally. And
they're trying to do their job in like, how do
I help this person, but through the lens of the
rest of their job? So it's a bit of that that,
you know, and, and I've since talked to that person
and of course, they didn't mean it in that way,
but I think there's a bit of that give and take.
Like it's a bit of it can be a bit
of a learning exercise for both parties. And so, you
(10:56):
know that I really it was quite emotional for me
at the time and difficult to talk about. And then
being able to kind of get through and go like, okay, no,
well they're trying to do their role. And so that
really then led me to think, how can I be
clearer in what I need? How can I educate myself
a little bit more as well and process some of
the things I was feeling about being able to talk
(11:17):
about it and that kind of thing. So then the
next time I went into that conversation, I was really clear, like,
this is the thing that I'm looking for. This is
going to help me. I've been really fortunate to work
with Vision Australia, to also have a little bit of
that support and that coaching and that type of thing.
But that has been, again, like once you're really clear
in what you're asking for, people want to help. It's
(11:37):
just kind of finding the right way to be clear
on that, I suppose, and using the support around you. Right.
Like at one point last year I was working with
Vision Australia and getting that coaching. I had two different
therapists I was working with, like my regular one, and
then like our emergency one through work. Like, you know,
it took a bit of a village to get me there.
But then now being able to confidently go into even
(11:59):
just meetings and be like, hey, what is this going
to be like? Ah, okay. Well, I just need to
make sure that I'm not called on to read that
in the moment, because I'm not going to be able
to do that if we're in this scenario. So just
having that ability to kind of be clear on what
I'm asking for has been good. So people can be like, great.
I really understand that instruction and they can get on
with help and what everyone's there to try to do.
S1 (12:20):
And that being clear on what you're asking for, that
clarity and knowing what you need to do your job effectively,
that's super important. And that's where the next question comes in,
especially regarding making adjustments that work for you. So fee
what accommodations or adjustments have helped you most in your
(12:42):
role and how and when did you go about asking
for them?
S2 (12:47):
Yeah. So yeah, this was all this has all been
really discovered for me, kind of in the last year.
I sort of experimenting with identifying as someone with a
disability over the last probably 7 or 8 years and
then finding little things here and there. But I always
felt like it was kind of I could see this
(13:08):
world of accessibility and adjustment requests, but there was a
fence there and I didn't know how to get over
the fence. And I remember meeting my first Vision Australia
coach and she was like, it's me, it's me. I
can help you get over the fence. And it was
so meaningful. And then the reason I ended up like
working with the Vision Australia coach and two therapists, was
going through the experience of having an occupational therapist come
(13:29):
and visit me in the office. And so that was
the most helpful thing that I did. But it also
broke me a little bit because spending a couple of
hours really getting into the nitty gritty of everything, I
really actually struggled with and admitting it to myself of like,
oh yeah, that doesn't. I do struggle with that. And
like a lot of people with disability, I'd found resourceful
(13:50):
and ways to work around things and do things. But
really sitting in that was so helpful. And then someone
being able to go like, okay, well, these sorts of things,
you've had this consistent talk about lighting. So I'm going
to recommend that you're able to control your lighting a
little bit. So then I could go to our property
people and say this lighting above me, you know, we
(14:11):
need to have that turned off and work through our
internal process to make sure that that's safe for everybody
else around me as well, that it's not going to
have a bad impact on anybody else. That's there's a
lot to kind of juggle behind that. But being able
to go, okay, I know if I'm in a room
where I can't control the lighting, I'm going to struggle
if I'm in there for too long. So being able
to manage that, having the screen adjustment as well, like
(14:33):
I had asked for a bigger screen previously, I knew
that that was really helpful. And there's tons of kind
of desktop adjustments that are easy to turn on, and
I'm a bit nerdy, so I get kind of stuck
in and I'd figured out a lot of ways to
do things, but then having understanding there's different technology and
having one recommended to me that just gives me so
much more control over what I can adjust, how far
(14:54):
I can adjust it to genuinely really actually help it
come to the size that I need it to. I
don't want to plug particular tech here, but it was
one of the screen readers that has sort of lots
of functions to it. And then also just, yeah, having
sitting with that OTT and talking about little things like, oh,
walking around the office and they were asking some of
(15:14):
the social things and going, oh yeah, I don't know
who's talking to me a lot of the time. And
it's difficult and I don't always feel included and processing
that so that I can as I meet new people
and talk about it, I try to say, if you remember,
it's really helpful if you say your name. So like
if you're like, hi, it's Sam, things like that. And
you know, some people remember, I do not expect people
to remember all the time, but it's also given me
(15:37):
a bit of freedom to not. I always took that
on myself and felt really awkward or felt bad that
I didn't see people or whatever. But now, because I've
been more open about it and I feel like that's
information out there for people to maybe find out later
and then let them feel awkward and be like, oh shit.
I waved across the office at someone with low vision.
They probably didn't know who that was or things like that.
(15:58):
I used to really internalize a lot of that and
feel all this like anxiety and stress of, oh God,
people must think I'm this terrible cow, and and I'm
not this, but I'm so friendly and I want to
be friendly, but I just don't know who's talking to me.
So being able to own that narrative a little bit
and it helps a bit and letting more people kind
of go, oh yeah, oops, I did the wrong thing
or whatever, or say their name or give me a
(16:20):
beat to kind of catch up with either the audio
cue of who they are or focus enough to be
able to see them. So that one was a bit
of a surprise one, but has been really helpful. So yeah,
while it was a difficult experience for a little minute
to really admit how much I was struggling that time
with the OT was huge. And now I can kind
of think about, yeah, lighting, computer sizing and then kind
(16:42):
of how I'm getting around and meeting people.
S1 (16:45):
A huge thank you to Fiona for joining us today
for part one of our chat about disclosure in the workplace.
What an open and honest session filled with really valuable tips.
We hope you've walked away with a better understanding on
disclosure and how to make the right decisions for yourself.
(17:05):
The career path has been funded by the Department of
Social Services. Fee. We could talk for hours, and I'd
love to keep in touch and pick your brain on
so many different topics. But that's all the time we
have for today for part one of our chat. I'm
really looking forward to catching up with you again and
(17:27):
having more of a discussion around disclosure, so let's keep
in touch for sure.
S2 (17:33):
Same to you, Sam. Yeah, could we could chat all day.
It's been wonderful. Thank you so much for having me.
Hi and welcome to season two of the Vision Australia podcast,
The Career Path. Today we're exploring when and how to
disclose your eye condition during the job application process. We'll
cover different scenarios, debunk common myths, and help you approach
the hiring process with confidence. I'm Sam Culley, your host
(00:27):
and Vision Australia Radio's community assistant for national programs. I'm
thrilled to be part of this series where we'll be
helping people in the blind and low vision community feel confident, capable,
and ready to crush it in their careers. This episode
will be recorded, so feel free to hit pause, take
(00:49):
a breather, and come back to it whenever works for you.
You can find all the episodes by searching Vision Australia's
The Career Path on your go to podcast platform. Today
I'm excited to be joined by Fiona Herron, organizational development
lead at the Commonwealth Bank. For part one of our
(01:12):
chat about disclosure. Welcome, Fiona.
S2 (01:16):
Hi, Sam, thanks for having me.
S1 (01:18):
And thank you very much for being here. Now, firstly, Fay,
let's jump into the topic of disclosure. How can someone
with vision loss determine the right time to disclose their
vision condition during the job application process?
S2 (01:36):
It's such an important point to get to. It really
differs for different people where you're at on your sort
of vision acceptance journey. And I think it's also up
to the employer to kind of let you know what's
happening during the recruitment process, so you can understand where
you might experience a barrier. But I have been kind
of on all sides of that. I've done a lot
(01:56):
of recruitment, I've done a lot of interviewing, and I'm
really at a point in my life where I want to, like,
loudly and proudly share it. Because there's going to be
times when you need other people to know about that.
So particularly if you're meeting your who's going to be
your people leader, it's really helpful to let them know
up front so they can try to be as supportive
(02:18):
as possible. You know, we're setting other people up for
failure to let us down if we're not bringing them
on the journey with us. So I'm a big encourager
of it, which is funny because, you know, this time
a year ago, even I was I really struggled to
talk about this, but definitely during recruitment I tried to
always share it. It's then once you're in the role
(02:38):
and how things go, I wasn't so open about it,
but it's quite life changing to really embrace it and
make it part of who you are.
S1 (02:46):
When people are sort of jumping into this sort of thing,
there's no doubt a few fears, a few concerns that
they might have. So how can focusing on your strengths
and accomplishments help overcome this fear of disclosing a vision condition.
S2 (03:04):
It's so critical to it, really. That's been how I've
kind of approached it. I felt like really thinking about
my strengths and also my values. It really helped me
align like I really value being authentic and having a
bit of a laugh. I'm quite like to, you know,
inject a bit of humor. And so when I wasn't
talking about it or when I talked about it in
(03:26):
a somber, serious way, which sometimes it needs to be,
it can be a really an emotional topic. But realizing
for myself, like being able to make a joke about
it or say something kind of light heartedly and let
other people know it's okay to then ask questions and
those sorts of things. So thinking about it in how
(03:47):
you sort of value how you communicate, but then also
playing it up as well, like it's such a strength
for me. I know this isn't the case for all
people with low vision or blindness, but I have really
great hearing. So I sort of really lean into that
a lot, as that can be a real strength because
I sort of got like moderate low vision. And my
peripheral vision is 2020 due to the macular degeneration that
(04:09):
I have. And so through that, the way I sort
of view things, I can identify things that are out
of pattern or out of sort quite quickly as well.
So if I'm skimming over something I can really see
or out of the corner of my eye, see, really well,
there's an error somewhere, or this isn't lined up or
that sort of thing. So there's all sorts of little
things and it's yeah, it just sort of adds to it.
And being able to be your real self lets other
(04:30):
people kind of know that strength about you as well.
And it doesn't have to be kind of a taboo subject.
S1 (04:35):
And fee, I guess. Following on from that a little bit,
what were your biggest worries and concerns before disclosing your
vision loss at work and what ultimately led you to share?
S2 (04:48):
Mm. Been reflecting on that a little bit because honestly,
the first time coming back to like the main topic
of the episode, disclosing during recruitment, the very first time
I did that was about seven years ago. Right about now,
to be honest. And I genuinely thought they were going
to retract the offer. I hadn't disclosed it during the recruitment,
but when I was completing that new starter paperwork, there
(05:12):
was a question and I can't even remember what the
question was. But I remember being like, oh, I've had
these struggles and it's always really frustrating to like, tell
my boss once I've started and that I don't know
what to ask for. So why do I need to
tell them that I have a condition when I don't
know how they can help? So I was really in
that spiral and I then filled out that new starter paperwork.
(05:33):
But because it had been, I hadn't shared it during
the recruitment, the manager was trying to understand and I
honestly was convinced for like two weeks they were just
going to be like, sorry, you can't work.
S1 (05:42):
Here.
S2 (05:43):
But spoiler alert, that was at commbank and I still
work there seven years later.
S1 (05:47):
So there.
S2 (05:47):
You go. That worked out well.
S1 (05:49):
It did. Sounds like it for sure.
S2 (05:51):
And it's been really scary. So that kind of was
a catalyst to go, okay, that wasn't so scary or
it was very scary, but I got through it. It
wasn't so hard, I suppose. And then so it was
just kind of chipped away and taking a little step
each time, you know, when I met different people. So
my boss knew that. So he tried to really have
inclusive meetings, and it was sort of my first taste
of that and doing projects and seeing how people can
(06:14):
find ways to support that, I can't think of was
sort of a nice taste of like, oh, I don't
have to have the solution. I can just tell people,
I can't read that thing that you're showing me. And
then so they're like, oh, I can just read it
out loud as we do this, or how about we
project it up on the screen and make it bigger,
like just other people thinking of how to overcome barriers
(06:34):
was my sort of my first experience of that. So
that was really great. And then it's just been bit
by bit going, okay, oh yeah, I'm going to tell
people during recruitment or tell people, you know, I did
I've done a lot of onboarding of other people. So
telling other new starters and being one of the signposts
that like, hey, you can be yourself here too, and
you can share these things and then. Yeah, really sort
(06:56):
of slowly just stepping a little bit more into the
light and owning the narrative and now seeing how much
quicker I can kind of get up to speed in
work or feel comfortable in participating. All of that is
now like, I can't imagine going backwards now because I
feel so much more able to concentrate on what I'm
there to do, rather than the stress and anxiety of like, okay,
(07:18):
there's this other layer, and do I tell people and
that sort of thing I can enjoy now, like a
comfort of, I can talk about it if I want
to or I need to, but it's also out there
as information, so I don't feel like I have to
unless there's something. So it's a bit more. I feel
a bit more in control of the story.
S1 (07:34):
I'm keen to jump over to a bit more of
the legal side of things now. So, um, when is
it legally necessary to disclose your vision condition during the
job application process, and how should it be approached, I mean,
from your perspective, but I guess from a legal standpoint
(07:55):
as well.
S2 (07:56):
Yeah, I'm not an expert in this field. So like
all the asterisks around this, this is just mostly my
opinion and a little bit of experience in work I've
done in in HR over the last 17 years. It's
about what the job you're applying for is if the
part of the role is a requirement for a driver's
license and you don't hold a driver's license, that's going
to be really legally necessary to talk about that, and
(08:18):
you're probably not eligible for that role. I think that's
kind of the main one. So again, it comes back
to the employer being really clear about what's the requirements
or inherent requirements is a term that's used a lot
as well of what's going to be required in the role.
So from my viewpoint, that's kind of the main part
of it. I don't know if you guys have other
advice on when it's legally necessary, but I think it's that, yeah,
(08:41):
if it's going to impact your ability to do the
role as it's been described, it doesn't mean you can't
necessarily apply or can't find ways to adjust how that
role is worked. I think that's that exciting conversation that
we're starting to see more movement on of. We don't
all have to do the same job in the same way.
So how can we adjust the environment so people can
get the work done? But that's a bit of a
(09:02):
different one around that, right, to request adjustments in the workplace.
S1 (09:06):
And I'd love to chat a bit more about reactions
in the workplace and the sort of support you got
after disclosing your vision condition and, you know, people getting
to know you a bit more. So how did your
workplace respond when you disclosed your vision condition? And what
surprised you about their reaction?
S2 (09:28):
Um, it's been pretty consistently. People want to try to
do the right thing. They want to help. I think
it's important to keep that in mind, that people are
trying to do their job as well. So I sort
of bring that up because it's been pretty positive of
just people being like, well, you just tell me how
I can help. And then that sort of caused me
a lot of like, oh, well, I really don't know
(09:49):
how to get what help I need. And those sorts
of things. But one thing that really caught me off
guard in a few experiences, I felt sort of like
I had to, I don't know other people in asking
questions to do the job that they need to do.
I felt kind of like, oh, this is like really
over the top. Or, you know, it's a bit unnecessary. Like,
why do they want to know all these things? And,
(10:10):
and as somebody who was quite new to sharing it,
I was like, I didn't know how to explain it
or stand up for myself or have the boundaries of like,
you know, that's actually not your business, that you need
to understand my full medical diagnosis. So it caught me
off guard, and it's been helpful to reflect on that
and think that person was trying to, you know, they're
in a realm of talking about injuries and incidents. And
(10:33):
so they do have a really medical tone naturally. And
they're trying to do their job in like, how do
I help this person, but through the lens of the
rest of their job? So it's a bit of that that,
you know, and, and I've since talked to that person
and of course, they didn't mean it in that way,
but I think there's a bit of that give and take.
Like it's a bit of it can be a bit
of a learning exercise for both parties. And so, you
(10:56):
know that I really it was quite emotional for me
at the time and difficult to talk about. And then
being able to kind of get through and go like, okay, no,
well they're trying to do their role. And so that
really then led me to think, how can I be
clearer in what I need? How can I educate myself
a little bit more as well and process some of
the things I was feeling about being able to talk
(11:17):
about it and that kind of thing. So then the
next time I went into that conversation, I was really clear, like,
this is the thing that I'm looking for. This is
going to help me. I've been really fortunate to work
with Vision Australia, to also have a little bit of
that support and that coaching and that type of thing.
But that has been, again, like once you're really clear
in what you're asking for, people want to help. It's
(11:37):
just kind of finding the right way to be clear
on that, I suppose, and using the support around you. Right.
Like at one point last year I was working with
Vision Australia and getting that coaching. I had two different
therapists I was working with, like my regular one, and
then like our emergency one through work. Like, you know,
it took a bit of a village to get me there.
But then now being able to confidently go into even
(11:59):
just meetings and be like, hey, what is this going
to be like? Ah, okay. Well, I just need to
make sure that I'm not called on to read that
in the moment, because I'm not going to be able
to do that if we're in this scenario. So just
having that ability to kind of be clear on what
I'm asking for has been good. So people can be like, great.
I really understand that instruction and they can get on
with help and what everyone's there to try to do.
S1 (12:20):
And that being clear on what you're asking for, that
clarity and knowing what you need to do your job effectively,
that's super important. And that's where the next question comes in,
especially regarding making adjustments that work for you. So fee
what accommodations or adjustments have helped you most in your
(12:42):
role and how and when did you go about asking
for them?
S2 (12:47):
Yeah. So yeah, this was all this has all been
really discovered for me, kind of in the last year.
I sort of experimenting with identifying as someone with a
disability over the last probably 7 or 8 years and
then finding little things here and there. But I always
felt like it was kind of I could see this
(13:08):
world of accessibility and adjustment requests, but there was a
fence there and I didn't know how to get over
the fence. And I remember meeting my first Vision Australia
coach and she was like, it's me, it's me. I
can help you get over the fence. And it was
so meaningful. And then the reason I ended up like
working with the Vision Australia coach and two therapists, was
going through the experience of having an occupational therapist come
(13:29):
and visit me in the office. And so that was
the most helpful thing that I did. But it also
broke me a little bit because spending a couple of
hours really getting into the nitty gritty of everything, I
really actually struggled with and admitting it to myself of like,
oh yeah, that doesn't. I do struggle with that. And
like a lot of people with disability, I'd found resourceful
(13:50):
and ways to work around things and do things. But
really sitting in that was so helpful. And then someone
being able to go like, okay, well, these sorts of things,
you've had this consistent talk about lighting. So I'm going
to recommend that you're able to control your lighting a
little bit. So then I could go to our property
people and say this lighting above me, you know, we
(14:11):
need to have that turned off and work through our
internal process to make sure that that's safe for everybody
else around me as well, that it's not going to
have a bad impact on anybody else. That's there's a
lot to kind of juggle behind that. But being able
to go, okay, I know if I'm in a room
where I can't control the lighting, I'm going to struggle
if I'm in there for too long. So being able
to manage that, having the screen adjustment as well, like
(14:33):
I had asked for a bigger screen previously, I knew
that that was really helpful. And there's tons of kind
of desktop adjustments that are easy to turn on, and
I'm a bit nerdy, so I get kind of stuck
in and I'd figured out a lot of ways to
do things, but then having understanding there's different technology and
having one recommended to me that just gives me so
much more control over what I can adjust, how far
(14:54):
I can adjust it to genuinely really actually help it
come to the size that I need it to. I
don't want to plug particular tech here, but it was
one of the screen readers that has sort of lots
of functions to it. And then also just, yeah, having
sitting with that OTT and talking about little things like, oh,
walking around the office and they were asking some of
(15:14):
the social things and going, oh yeah, I don't know
who's talking to me a lot of the time. And
it's difficult and I don't always feel included and processing
that so that I can as I meet new people
and talk about it, I try to say, if you remember,
it's really helpful if you say your name. So like
if you're like, hi, it's Sam, things like that. And
you know, some people remember, I do not expect people
to remember all the time, but it's also given me
(15:37):
a bit of freedom to not. I always took that
on myself and felt really awkward or felt bad that
I didn't see people or whatever. But now, because I've
been more open about it and I feel like that's
information out there for people to maybe find out later
and then let them feel awkward and be like, oh shit.
I waved across the office at someone with low vision.
They probably didn't know who that was or things like that.
(15:58):
I used to really internalize a lot of that and
feel all this like anxiety and stress of, oh God,
people must think I'm this terrible cow, and and I'm
not this, but I'm so friendly and I want to
be friendly, but I just don't know who's talking to me.
So being able to own that narrative a little bit
and it helps a bit and letting more people kind
of go, oh yeah, oops, I did the wrong thing
or whatever, or say their name or give me a
(16:20):
beat to kind of catch up with either the audio
cue of who they are or focus enough to be
able to see them. So that one was a bit
of a surprise one, but has been really helpful. So yeah,
while it was a difficult experience for a little minute
to really admit how much I was struggling that time
with the OT was huge. And now I can kind
of think about, yeah, lighting, computer sizing and then kind
(16:42):
of how I'm getting around and meeting people.
S1 (16:45):
A huge thank you to Fiona for joining us today
for part one of our chat about disclosure in the workplace.
What an open and honest session filled with really valuable tips.
We hope you've walked away with a better understanding on
disclosure and how to make the right decisions for yourself.
(17:05):
The career path has been funded by the Department of
Social Services. Fee. We could talk for hours, and I'd
love to keep in touch and pick your brain on
so many different topics. But that's all the time we
have for today for part one of our chat. I'm
really looking forward to catching up with you again and
(17:27):
having more of a discussion around disclosure, so let's keep
in touch for sure.
S2 (17:33):
Same to you, Sam. Yeah, could we could chat all day.
It's been wonderful. Thank you so much for having me.
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