VALID opportunity for Jason
We all know Jason from across the sporting airwaves and radio stations of Melbourne, and he has captured the hearts and minds of many Melbournian sports fans over the years.
Recently, Aisling McCabe, St John of God Accord Marketing and Communications Manager, checked in with Jason on his new opportunities.
A client of our services living in the eastern suburbs, Jason has featured in iAccord several times.
More recently to add to his successes, Jason recently interviewed for a position as Program Officer at VALID in Melbourne, and was successful in securing the job. (VALID is an award-winning organisation that has been at the forefront of advocating for people with a disability in Victoria since 1989)
I caught up with Jason to hear how his new role is going. He told me as a Program Officer he will be advocating for people with disability in their homes so they are treated with dignity and respect.
Given that Jason is new to the role, his whole focus at the moment is training and learning, understanding human rights, what it means to be a disability advocate, and what his responsibilities are as a VALID employee.
Matt Sterling, Team Leader at Jason’s eastern accommodation home, told me that while VALID has his contact details in the event they need additional information, Jason’s job is otherwise discussed and treated as yours or mine might be once he returns home, particularly around privacy and confidentially for personal information.
“The most important and interesting part of what is happening for Jason, is that aside from the assistance to attain his position, what Jason is now doing is essentially independent of St John of God Accord.
“It is an empowering change for Jason, and he is learning quickly the boundaries between his work and what is discussed and documented at home,” said Matt Sterling (Team Leader).
Being able to work is a fundamental human right for people with disability, and Jason continues to break down barriers, promote inclusion and advocate for others. Jason continues to be an inspiration to us all.
