“We began in 1980 as a family business, with just one ambulance. But we quickly grew as a company when we secured contracts with hospitals and health insurance companies. In 2006, we were taken over by another company and got more varied tasks. In addition to ambulance transport, we provide transportation for laboratory samples, and we drive doctors to patients in the evenings and on weekends.”

“Our cooperation with the agency that supports job seekers with disabilities started with a phone call from Dragana. She called in response to an open job vacancy. The first time she came to us, she visited alone, without a candidate. She told us that this way, she could get a sense of our expectations and the atmosphere in our company. With this information, she then searched for a suitable candidate. This candidate, Jan, came for an interview shortly afterward, accompanied by Dragana.”

“We saw in Jan a calm person, which is necessary for a job as a driver. He met the criteria well, and we decided to hire him immediately. We saw no reason to start with an internship or any other subsidized process. The job vacancy had been open for a while, we had this need, and we just jumped into it. Jan was also paid right away. Like everyone who starts with us, he received a contract for three months, then for six months, and then for an indefinite period.”

“For Jan, some specific arrangements were made due to his disability. For example, he received an allowance due to illness, which allowed him to start part-time with both pay and benefits. We were familiar with this, but had not used it before. It is, as mentioned, not a very flexible system. For every change, you have to apply in advance, and that takes time. We quickly found this out. We applied for an allowance for Jan, and it was denied by the responsible doctor. A difficult start for us in this way. Fortunately, Jan was able to clearly explain the necessity of this application to the doctor and change the doctor’s mind. For Jan, this system creates the possibility to work fewer hours, given his vulnerability, and still earn enough money. And I receive a subsidy for Jan. It was certainly not the reason to hire him, as the salary was already budgeted for the position.”

“Jan started as a driver for doctors at one of the triage posts. He works alone, without a supervisor, which is often the case in our company. Open communication with my staff is, therefore, important, and I pay a lot of attention to it. I feel that I succeed in this. When I look at my staff, they have been with my company for a long time; they rarely leave. And we are growing, we continuously need more people.”