MORE FOCUS ON ABILITY

Workplaces are improved by diverse abilities, Melanie Burgess writes

EMPLOYERS are embracing opportunities to hire workers with disabilities, focusing on what they can do, rather than what they cannot – and workplaces are being adapted to encourage it.

Almost a quarter (23 per cent) of Australians with disabilities are now in work, reports from the National Disability Insurance Scheme reveal.

The number of NDIS participants aged 15 to 24 with a paid job increased from 12 per cent in the second quarter of 2016-17 to 17 per cent in the same quarter in 2018-19. For those aged 25 and older, it increased from 23 per cent to 25 per cent.

National Disability Insurance Agency acting deputy chief executive Scott McNaughton says growing employment rates are the result of NDIS support as well as cultural shifts in the community.

“NDIS supports can help participants think about work and test what employment would mean for them in a safe environment,” he says. “This contributes to building confidence and a belief that work is possible.

“Growing employment rates may also in part be due to employers, participants and the general community recognising the value of environments where more people with disability can work.”

Hearing impairment presents the smallest barrier to employment, with 57 per cent of working age Australians with this disability in paid work.

It compares to 30 per cent of Australians with Down syndrome, 28 per cent with a spinal cord injury, 19 per cent with Autism and 15 per cent with a psychosocial disability. Just 5 per cent of Australians who have had a stroke are in paid employment.

McNaughton says there are many benefits for businesses who embrace workers with disabilities. “One in five Australians live with disability, so it is beneficial for businesses to have a diverse workforce that reflects their customer base,” he says. “Evidence shows that people with a disability have a high job retention rate. People with disability make a valuable contribution to the workforce.”

Scope Global chief executive Christine Molitor says when something is more accessible for people with disabilities, it also becomes more accessible to demographics including the elderly, pregnant women and people with acquired injuries.

“(It) also increases the reach a business can have, which may result in significant benefits,” she says.