Dylan Alcott (Get Skilled Access)
Melbourne-based Kiandra IT has built an online jobs platform to help people with disabilities find employment.
Kiandra was selected by Get Skilled Access (GSA), which was founded by former wheelchair tennis player and Australian of the Year Dylan Alcott, to build the site ‘Field’.
According to Kiandra, Field was built “in a way other sites hadn’t properly addressed before” and was disability-led, designed, delivered and maintained.
“Building software for accessibility at this level is about putting the people we represent first,” Kiandra co-founder Martin Cooperwaite said.
“The Field must support a range of user access needs while at the same time being accessible to those who would be maintaining the system in the long term.”
To build Field, Kiandra leveraged the low-code platform OutSystems due to its ease of customisation. It also used Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) as a benchmark for the platform’s overall accessibility.
Testing and user feedback led to further adjustments, so the platform catered to groups including those deaf or hard of hearing, blind or low vision, and with limited use of arms or hand mobility and an intellectual disability.
“We wanted to create a job site that was more than simply connecting candidates with [a] disability to employers,” Alcott said.
“We wanted a site that would level the employment exchange by prioritising accessibility features and inclusive functionality to improve the recruitment experience.”
“The Field will enable job seekers to have the power to choose how they showcase their personal brand to employers through their profile, showcasing their skills, experience and accessibility requirements in the way they like to choose,” Alcott added.
In 2020, Kiandra made the decision to focus on growing its software development division, selling its technology and security solutions portion to Nexon Asia Pacific.
