Case Study 1 - John Badwater

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I turned a negative experience into a positive outcome by taking control of my career

Situation

I applied for a part time position with a government organisation that had policies in place to support staff with disabilities. I received a verbal agreement with the hiring manager to be based at home.

When I commenced my employment I discovered that I reported to a different person who insisted on me being office-based. Since the home base wasn't written into my contract, I was told to attend the office every day until my probabation period was completed. When that was completed, I again requested being home based, like many of my colleagues. This request was denied. I was advised that HR would regard my stance on working at home as "refusal to work" and would face disciplinary action. If I were to appeal, I would then be required to provide full access to my medical records.

The situation was untenable for me and I submitted my resignation.

My Approach

I initially had to recover from the situation. Even documenting the events from my intitial enquiry to resigning affected my mental health. I sought professional help to enable me to cope with what had happened. Therapy raised other issues that I had encountered in my life. Addressing these helped me to overcome the situation and start planning the next phase of my life. At this point, I decided not to return to salaried work.

I had established myself as a sole trader several years prior to the situation, but didn't have the confidence to operate as an independent business owner. I enrolled in the government funded Self Employment Assistance (SEA) program. The program provided mentoring and other tools to establish and operate a small business. My business plan was approved, but as the program progressed, I found that I wanted to take a different direction and establish myself as an independent disability employment advisor and NDIS support working in the area of Finding and Keeping a Job.

I didn't have the resources to become a registered NDIS provider, but completed the training to become a certified NDIS worker. I researched free disability expos, where I connected with other providers and exhibited at WorkAbility expos in Brisbane, Newcastle, Wollongong and virtually. Through these expos, I established that there was a market for my services as an NDIS support worker.

Results

My business is growing slowly. Aside from supporting NDIS participants to prepare and apply for employment I have expanded my services to engage with employers to hire applicants with disabilities and support them during their employment. 

I have the confidence to speak openly about my experiences as a person with a non-visible disability, in the workplace and in life. In 2025 I delivered a presentation to a group of School Leavers Employment Supports (SLES) students, which was well received by the teacher and students. I am expanding these presentations to school students, employers and disability organisations.

I no longer require support from a therapist, who did an amazing job steering me through the darkness and showing me how to find the light.

I provided supports to an NDIS participant who was getting nowhere with her current disability employment provider

Situation

I met Jan (not her real name) at a disability expo where I was exhibiting. We engaged in a long conversation. Jan explained that she had an employment history that included senior positions, but was looking for a part-time administration role that would enable her to reenter the workforce while continuing caring for her family. Her disability was stable and she was aware of her abilities and limitations.

Jan was an NDIS participant, and struggled to find providers who were able to deliver what she needed. She had been referred to a Disability Employment Service provider where the consultant had rewritten her resume in a format that wasn't working. The consultant had only focused on positions that aligned with her ethnicity and cultural background.

Jan had an engaging and outgoing personality, but had lost confidence in her ability, and needed someone who would listen to her and provide supports that would lead to employment.

My Approach

Jan contacted me in the months following the expo. She told me that I was the only exhibitor that had really connected with her. We had a long phone conversation, after which I developed a plan, which was approved by Jan and documented in a service agreement. Using information received from Jan, I developed the following strategy:

• Create a new version of Jan's CV, using information in previous versions to produce a draft,
• Input from Jan to fill in any gaps and ensure that the information was complete and in a format that employers would notice,
• Create templates of cover letters and expression of interest (EOI) letters/emails that Jan could adapt to each position she was applying for,
• Research current positions being advertised, and forwarding links to Jan for her consideration,
• Create a document containing the contact details of referees,
• Conduct phone conversations with each referee to confirm their willingness to provide a reference,
• Provide a document of interview techniques,
• Conduct a mock interview to ask standard questions and provide feedback on answers,
• Offer advice on creating online employment profiles and subscribing to job mailing lists,
• Other support to answer questions, motivation and help overcome obstacles.

The above was delivered 100% remotely, communicating via phone, email, text and messaging services.

An important aspect was my person-centred approach, which was to engage, listen and collaborate with Jan. The final decision was always hers.

Results

We overcame some initial communication problems and created an outstanding resume. Jan appreciated that I including her in the process, rather than just rewriting it in a format that I wanted. We discussed layout and terminology that she was comfortable using.

Jan became very motivated and started reaching out to organisations where she wanted to work. I researched advertised positions and sent the links to Jan. She then contacted those of interest to her. Using this technique she applied for two positions and was offered an interview for both.

Jan was nervous about her interview, so we ran through some questions in order to prepare her. I also coached Jan in asking questions that were appropriate,  and avoiding those that were not. Jan performed well in both interviews and received phone calls to advise her of the outcomes. While she was not successful, she received positive feedback, and was encouraged to apply for future positions.

I spoke to Jan after both calls to support her to deal with rejection. Although disappointed, she felt that she was closer to getting a job than she had been before we started our journey together. She thanked me and I told her that she now had all the tools to find work by herself. I would be there if she ever needed to talk or run an idea by me, In the meantime.

I continue to look out for advertised positions as part of my general work, and will forward Jan anything that I consider to be of interest to her.