employment
EMPOWERED
ENVIRONMENTS
Gavin Balharrie is the national director of one of Australia’s leading cost consultancies,
WT Partnership.
A
fter contracting meningitis and outside the office was limited to which has allowed me to prove myself
as an infant, he is profoundly fax. Nowadays, the widespread use of over the past 25 years.”
deaf, but has continually texting, email, Microsoft Teams and proved that being deaf is no barrier mobile apps has helped open up these progressive culture and cultivating an
to success throughout his diverse communication channels, facilitating a environment that supports diversity in
and impressive career as a quantity more inclusive environment. the workplace. Gavin has an interpreter
surveyor.
Excelling academically in high
“I’ve been fortunate to work at a
two days a week, who assists him
company that has only ever seen my to professionally communicate and
school, Gavin discovered quantity skills and intelligence, rather than manage relationships in a busy and
surveying at Melbourne University and focusing on my hearing impairment,” growing office.
was recruited as a cadet for WT in his Gavin said.
second year.
When he began his career at WT
in 1994, there were little to no support
services available, and the technology
used to non-verbally communicate in
54
WT prides itself on maintaining a
employment
“WT has always fostered an
He said the introduction of
the National Disability Insurance
inclusive environment by never saying Scheme (NDIS) has also helped fund
no to me in the first instance. interpreters for social functions
“I’ve always been encouraged to
tackle large, challenging projects,
outside the office, meaning he can get
more involved with the wide range of
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