Ivy Belavy wanted to work in healthcare so she could help people but found employers often "didn't have the patience for her," ABC News reports.
The Brisbane 19-year-old, who has a disability, sometimes finds it hard to make herself understood, or to understand others.
"Some employers didn't have the patience for me," she said.
"I take longer due to my learning challenges."
Ms Belavy signed up for an internship through Project SEARCH — run by Uniting Care — which supports people with disabilities to get work experience.
She did work experience in the orderly teams at The Wesley Hospital in Brisbane, helping deliver medical equipment, and got a TAFE certificate in health services assistance.
"With hands-on skills, she was great, but in terms of learning and communication, she needed some additional support," the project's manager, Cameron Williams, said.
Now, she works in aged care and housekeeping.
A survey by Griffith University and Queenslanders with Disability Network found 70 per cent of people with disabilities did not believe Queensland employers hired people like them.
Most of the respondents had a job, but the majority made less than $75,000 a year — and 20 per cent of those who responded were at the poverty line, it found.
About 300 people were surveyed for Voices of Queenslanders with Disabilities, which was commissioned by the state government.
"The majority of participants were actually employed, so that wasn't something that we had expected," Griffith University Research Fellow Kelsey Chapman, report co-author, said.
"What wasn't a surprise is that most of the participants were employed in jobs where they were earning less than $75,000 a year, and 20 per cent were at the poverty line."
Many reported "ableist attitudes" and non-inclusive workplaces she said.
FULL STORY
Ivy struggled to find a job, then she did a Brisbane internship for people with disabilities (ABC News)
PHOTO
Ms Belavy did a 12-month internship with Project SEARCH. (ABC News: Mark Leonardi)
