Film of day in life of worker screens

Countdown supermarket worker Peter Stevens at the launch of a documentary in Dunedin this week about his employment. He was still very much in the limelight at the launch where the events were captured by both his twin brother David and the 'Otago Daily Times'. Photo by Linda Robertson.

It shows a working day in the life of Mr Stevens, who has been employed in the produce section at Countdown's Cumberland St store part-time for 11 years.

Mr Stevens said the film had been "shot very beautifully" and he was proud to present his story to people who "didn't know how to look at disability".

The DVD, by Unreal Films film-maker Tony Sutorius, has been made for Works4Us.

This organisation is the New Zealand employment advocacy service for people with learning disabilities.

Works4Us manager Dave Wickham, of Wellington, told about 20 people gathered for the DVD launch in Dunedin on Wednesday that Mr Stevens was an example of someone able to work in open employment without extra support.

The organisation also wants to film a worker in open employment who needs some support and someone in a business enterprise (previously known as a sheltered workshop) going through the minimum wage exemption process.

Finding willing stars for the latter was proving difficult, Mr Wickham said, as people involved with the process did not want to be associated with low wages, even though what they were doing was legitimate.

It was important to be able to show on film how it was done so that any worker who might be faced with that process could see how it worked.

The DVD featuring Mr Stevens will be distributed for use by People First groups throughout the country and the 12 advocates trained to work with those job-seekers with learning disabilities.

- elspeth.mclean@odt.co.nz