In a perfect answer to the question of the value to workplaces of those with disability, Employable Me follows nine Australians with a range of neurological conditions such as autism, Fragile X, Asperger’s and Tourette’s Syndrome as they seek to find a job.
The point of the show is, of course, that at the outset all of them are being overlooked – either because they the “disability” tag, or because that disability makes it harder for them to communicate about who they are and what they can do.
Like Shaun Murphy in The Good Doctor, they need someone to stand up for them and insist they’re worth employing. But unlike Shaun, they need expert help to discover where their greatest strengths and skills lie, so they can be matched to jobs and industries that suit them. All they want is a chance, and to be taken seriously.
Employable Me originated on the BBC in Britain two years ago, and has also been made in Canada. The makers here spent four months filming and, without creating spoilers for the three-week show, the results will fill you with hope, and with joy.
To give you an early taste of the dramatic change the series can bring about in people’s lives, watch the last part of Brett Davies’ story from the first BBC season of Employable Me
I defy you not to cry.
