Returning: Employable Me

Employable Me returns to ABC in April for its second season.

It will profile nine more people with disabilities as they battle to find work.

This series features people with epilepsy, cerebral palsy, dwarfism and Down Syndrome as they search for meaningful employment.

Employable Me shows us what potential employers need to see: the capable person behind the condition. But it’s a tough road they must travel to convince employers to overcome their preconceptions.

Throughout the series, the participants work with experts, job coaches and their families to uncover their skills and talents and match the jobseekers to roles that harness their strengths.

20-year old Eric has cerebral palsy and doesn’t feel there should be any obstacle to achieving his dream job working in the health sector. He wants people to see who he is before they see his disability.

At just 98cm tall, Tiana might just be Australia’s shortest job seeker. She wants to show employers that while her short stature means she may do things a little differently, she is just as capable as anyone else.

For neuro-diverse participants such as Kathleen, testing by experts substantiates her skills and blows widely held stereotypes about autism out of the water.

We all deserve a role in society. That’s what this show is about: striving to belong and play your part. Employable Me looks beyond first impressions to reveal there’s always more than meets the eye.

Produced by Northern Pictures (Magical Land of Oz, Changing Minds, Ice Wars), Employable Me was commissioned by the ABC as part of its commitment to bring diverse stories, including those about people with disabilities, into focus. Principal production funding from Screen Australia, financed with the assistance of (the) NSW Department of Industry and Create NSW, with the ABC.

Tuesday 9 April at 8.30pm on ABC.