Case Study: Damian - Personal Trainer & participant in the JobAccess Employment Assistance Fund

DAMIAN PERSONAL TRAINER
Damian is the owner and director of Healthy Ambition, a personal training and fitness business based in Melbourne. Damian’s sight is affected by Juvenile Macular Degeneration which impacts on his central vision and although this does not diminish his ability to train others in fitness, it did up until recently impact on his ability to complete his office work, research and study. Being a business owner this was holding him back.
Recently Damian applied to the Employment Assistance Fund, in order to access funding for specialised equipment that he required in order to bring him up to the same productivity level as his business partner Jenny. Damian became aware of the funding scheme through his association with Vision Australia.
A workplace assessor evaluated the disability specific workplace barriers and provided recommendations. Within 3 weeks of the initial application Damian purchased a closed circuit television via the approved funding. This equipment displays a magnified image of the documents he needs to work on. Other assistive technology has also allowed him to be more productive at work. Damian says he found the JobAccess process was “perfect”.
“Basically this allows me to complete normal tasks,” says Damian. “I can check textbooks for research and check documents to see that signatures are in the right place. The technology just allows me to do this, I have no more excuses now – this has levelled my output in the admin side of things.”
Damian says that the new technology has benefited his business by making him more productive. Instead of the tasks being allotted to other people, Damian can now perform his office duties as required. The new equipment has also helped him to keep up his level of education, allowing him to consult fitness textbooks and training manuals when creating a specialised fitness programme for a client.
So now Damian can be as pro-active in his office as he is out in the training zone with his clients. He’s happy to be part of the growing fitness industry that he first began studying in over ten years ago. He is very clear when it comes to his career goals: “To help people get fit and to see them improve their lives. It’s a great buzz!”