OT grad combines business and passion to start online platform
Jordan was drawn to disability support work after seeing how the right support relationships made all the difference in the life of his brother, Shane, who lived with a profound physical disability.
He chose to study a Bachelor of Applied Science (Occupational Therapy) after moving next door to an occupational therapists that suggested he visit a children’s occupational therapy clinic. He saw an occupational therapist (OT) working with children living with disability, doing therapy and school-readiness activities, and thought ‘this is for me’.
From seeing regular occupational therapists improve the quality of my brother’s life, experiencing a children’s OT clinic for the first time, to my experiences studying anatomy, neuroscience and sensory integration, my love for OT has grown steadily over the years.
Jordan's passion for OT has been shaped by his own experiences. One experience that changed his view of the world was when his brother, Shane, told the family he wanted to mow the lawn.
With determination the family hacked together a contraption they called ‘the Cherry Picker’, a second-hand wheelchair that could extend upwards like a crane and affix to a large, petrol-powered lawnmower, allowing Shane to mow the lawn.
“The Cherry Picker taught me that attitudes alone can create limiting conditions – that sometimes it’s not a person’s disability, but simply a lack of imagination, creativity and adaptability that leaves people on the sidelines of their own lives.”
Then, after losing his dad, David, at 18 to colon cancer, Jordan was left with the role of Shane’s primary support. “That really forced me to get my act together, it kickstarted my study and career journey. It also opened my eyes to how the disability sector worked and what needed to change.”
People with disability and their families are better off when they have choice and control over their supports. With the right support, everyone, regardless of ability, can pursue a good life.
With a career journey that started in support work, Jordan went on to study a Bachelor of Applied Science (Occupational Therapy), whilst also leading the work of a volunteer group in an orphanage in Thailand for children with complex medical and support needs.
At the same time, back in Australia, Jordan and his sister Laura launched Fighting Chance, a not-for-profit organisation providing jobs, learning and social participation opportunities to people with disability.
From there came Hireup, a first-of-its-kind platform connecting people with disabilities and their families to support workers who share their interests.
“The idea for Hireup came from a support relationship my family had when we lived in England, where we moved to access better therapies and education for Shane."
"The UK already had an individualised disability funding scheme, so my mum had scribbled out a job ad for a support worker and placed it in the local paper. Several people responded and, after chatting to them all, Shane chose a young woman called Phillipa, fresh out of high school."
"Phillipa was Shane’s first ever support worker. She was also his friend. They would play computer games together, see movies, meet other friends in cafes ... just hang out. At the end of each fortnight, we’d post Phillipa’s timesheets to an office where her wages would be processed.”
Jordan explains that even though the process of hiring and managing Phillipa couldn’t have been more low-tech it was this was the genesis of Hireup – a digital platform born of the realisation that the family was better off when they could select and employ their own support workers.
Jordan's top 3 tips
OTs work in a huge range of fields, from paediatrics through to aged care, from hospital settings through to cutting-edge technology start-ups.
While you’re studying - see as much of it as you can. Take the most obscure placements, push yourself to volunteer outside of uni hours. The more you put in, the more you will get out.
Often, OTs are taught that there are only a few career pathways, and typically that involves private or public health practice. But that doesn't have to be the case.
OT is, fundamentally, about problem solving. And good problem-solvers can be hard to find - in all professions. So dream big with your career and where OT can take you.
At the end of the day, OT is all about service to others. If you’re the type of person who wants to help others achieve and become the best that they can be, OT is for you!
