KSS eKourier April 2022

FEATURE

Currently in the Finance Team we have Howard Leung supporting us with scanning all Personnel Folders to be ready for uploading into Flare. Howard has an intellectual disability and is part of Uni 2 Beyond. UNI 2 BEYOND AND INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY - Slow cognitive processing time ; - Difficulty in the sequential processing of information; - Difficulties comprehending abstract concepts. technology related. I always enjoy helping friends and family members when there is a technology problem.

In 2018 I started my journey to Tertiary Education with Uni 2 Beyond at Univer- sity of Sydney. An initiative which supports young adults with intellec- tual disability to study for interest at the University of Sydney. Through the program I studied four different IT related subjects: Computing Professionalism; Foundations of Data Science; Digital Work Environments and Digital Business Innovation. I enjoyed the time spent at University and the opportunity to learn and be supported by fellow student mentors during my studies, there was always someone there for me if I needed help. I finished my studies at the end of 2021. It was a difficult time due to Covid in which I missed the opportu- nity to be on campus and mingle with my mentors’ face to face. However, as part of the program, I had the chance to start this year with a paid Internship at Kennards. The time at Uni 2 Beyond helped me to build confidence and realise that I can make decisions on my own. I have learnt a lot during my time at University and I am keen to use my skills in my current role at Kennards. I love working at Kennards. My colleagues are very nice. The best part of the day is when it gets busy. During the day I work on the tasks assigned to me, such as Excel data combination and scanning documents. My goal for the year is to continue my work at Kennards after my internship and become independent so that I can build the life I want for myself". Anthony Rous Chief Financial Officer

In Australia in 2018, 39% of working- age people with intellectual disability were in the labour force compared with 53% of people with all types of disability and 84% of people without disability. This represents: - A loss for people with intellec- tual disability who want meaningful careers; - A loss for employers of valuable employees; - A loss for society of the working contribution and diversity that people with intellectual disability could bring. My goal for the year is to continue my work at Kennards after my Intern- ship and become independent so that I can build the life I want for myself Howard has been a delight to work with and his energy and enthusiasm have been great. He is providing great value for the Kennards business while also allowing many of us to experi- ence working with someone with an intellectual disability. Below Howard tells us about himself- "My name is Howard and I have just started my Internship with Kennards Self Storage and have been here several weeks. I was born in Hong Kong and can speak Cantonese. I love to play Badminton and Tennis and anything ‘ ‘

L to R: Anthony Rous, KSS CFO with Howard Leung from Uni 2 Beyond

What is Uni 2 Beyond? Uni 2 Beyond is a multi-award

winning initiative that supports people with intellectual disability to study at the University of Sydney. As part of their studies, Uni 2 Beyond students undertake internships to develop their strengths and explore career pathways. Internships are hosted by organisations from various sectors across greater Sydney. What is intellectual disability? A person is either born with an intellectual disability or acquires it under the age of 18. Intellectual disability affects the way a person learns. Every person with intellectual disability is different. An intellectual disability may cause: - Difficulty understanding new information; - Difficulties with communication and social skills;

10 Kennards Kourier April 2022