Afford scholarship awarded to supported employee, Roslyn Hughes

Motivated to learn Auslan by awareness that some of her ADE coworkers were being left out of conversations, Roslyn applied for and was awarded an Afford scholarship. Congratulations, Roslyn!

Roslyn has been a supported employee at Afford since 1991, and began her current position at an Afford ADE in October 2011. Roslyn is a process worker and is really good at her job. In 2022 she won an Employee of the Year Award for her commitment to teamwork, supporting her peers and being conscientious.

Roslyn continues to focus on supporting her peers – as shown by her latest project, to learn Auslan so that she can talk with coworkers who also speak Auslan.

“There are people in my factory who are hearing impaired and can only communicate through sign language. But there are not many people who my factory who can sign,” says Roslyn.

“It’s very lonely for them. And I don’t think anyone should be missing out on conversation. Everyone has the right to be heard, and everyone has the right to information. It feels like discrimination when people cannot communicate for reasons like this.”

The Afford scholarship will enable Roslyn to complete an Auslan certification at TAFE New South Wales. Roslyn’s win was announced at the Afford 2023 Annual Employee Awards. Roslyn attended the event with her brother, Andrew.

“I was really nervous. I really didn’t think I was going to get it,” says Roslyn. “Then when they called my name out, I was really shocked. I was actually crying.”

Roslyn went up on stage to collect her scholarship award, and says she enjoyed getting dressed up for the night.

Roslyn will begin her studies this year. She says she is excited and nervous to begin, but most of all, she is really looking forward to being able to build connections with her hearing-impaired coworkers.

A first for Afford

Roslyn’s scholarship award is special for our organisation, too. That’s because this is the first time scholarships have been offered to Afford employees.

The Afford scholarship program is designed to empower our team members to pursue further training and education opportunities in their chosen profession or interest area. Our focus is on initiatives that contribute to improving the lives of people with disability.

Eight scholarships were awarded, and each offered a monetary amount of up to $10,000. All full, part-time, and casual employees working more than 18 hours per week, and those who have completed at least twelve months of service, were eligible to apply.

We extend our deepest gratitude to the sponsors of our award and scholarship categories: Abcoe Distributors, CareApp, Mecklemore, Ozland Group Solutions, and Property Concierge.

Roslyn’s other contributions

Roslyn is also a member of two key advisory groups at Afford: The Afford Human Rights Advocate Group and the Afford Inclusion Council.

The Afford Human Rights Advocate Group is made up of clients who use Afford’s services and employees who want to be a part of it. It is all about making sure we follow rights-based practices and promote the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) in everything we do. The Afford Inclusion Council provides insights into the lived experience of Afford consumers (clients, families and carers) to make sure their voices are included in discussions and decision-making.

It’s clear that Roslyn is a very caring, busy and motivated person! Congratulations again, Roslyn.

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  L-R: Roslyn Hughes, Katelyn Barakat, Carol Bryant

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  L-R: Andrew Hughes, Roslyn Hughes

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  L-R: Emma Roache, Roslyn Hughes, Alison Rose

Afford ADE

We provide a range of business solutions for companies and employment opportunities for supported employees through our Australian Disability Enterprises (ADE). Tap to find out more about ADE at Afford here.