New research explores workplace adjustments in Australia
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Australian Network on Disability Monthly Newsletter
Dear Reader,
Almost four and a half years since it was established, the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability is drawing to a close.
I am looking forward to seeing the Commission’s final report and I’m hopeful that the Commission’s recommendations will provide solutions that will remove the barriers and inequities that so many people with disability face every day.
Much of the evidence and personal stories revealed by the Commission are harrowing. The Commission received almost 8000 submissions, more than 700 responses to its issues papers and held 1785 private sessions, many recounting heartbreaking stories of abuse, prejudice, and inequality.
Individuals spoke about the impact of attitudes, low expectations, or stigma, prejudice, and misconceptions about people with disability.
People with disability told of their fears that disclosing their disability may increase the risk of discrimination or bias, but not disclosing their disability may mean they don’t receive the reasonable adjustments they need in the workplace.
And while employers acknowledged the importance of creating a safe workplace where staff feel comfortable to identify as having a disability, some noted the challenges or sensitivities that exist around the choice to share disability status.
The Commission also questioned why - despite previous employment strategies and initiatives - there has been little improvement in the labour force participation rate for people with disability.
The most recent data shows 53.4 per cent of people with disability are in the labour force, compared with 84.1 per cent of people without disability.
At Australian Network on Disability, we believe people with disability deserve not just a job, but a job that matches their skills, interests, and abilities. We are heartened by the efforts of our 450 member organisations to overcome the attitudinal, physical, and organisational barriers that prevent not just employment but career progression.
However, we believe a new approach is required to address the entrenched problem of underrepresentation of people with disability in the workforce.
Therefore we are developing a business plan for the introduction of disability employment targets, and an accompanying series of How to guides to help organisations understand why targets are important and how to go about setting and achieving targets.
I look forward to sharing these invaluable tools with you soon.
In this issue:
• Save the date for our 2024 national conference and awards night
• New research on workplace adjustments
• Apply for our Directing Change scholarships
• Measure your organisation’s access and inclusion activities
• Get more out of your membership
• You can make Parliament House more accessible
• Jobseeker mentoring program hits record numbers
• How to support a neurodiverse workforce
• Help design a digital platform to manage NDIS complaints
• Latest Disability Sector News
Save the date for our 2024 national conference and awards night
We are delighted to announce the details for our IMPACT 2024 conference and awards night:
IMPACT Conference
Venue: Melbourne Conference and Exhibition Centre
Date: 9am-7pm, Thursday 9 May, 2024
Disability Confidence Awards
Venue: Melbourne Conference and Exhibition Centre
Date: 5-9pm, Wednesday 8 May, 2024
Register now to save your seat at IMPACT 2024
Why you can’t miss IMPACT 2024
At this year’s events, our delegates spoke, and we listened. This resounding feedback has shaped our vision for IMPACT 2024 so we can bring you:
- Greater connection: IMPACT 2024 is more than a conference, it's a community. In 2023, our delegates loved the opportunity to connect with peers in similar roles and facing similar challenges. IMPACT 2024 will provide more opportunities than ever before, allowing you to engage in meaningful conversations and build strong connections.
- More knowledge for actionable change: We heard you loud and clear—you want tangible takeaways. This year, we're taking it to the next level. Expect to leave with a wealth of ideas and learnings that you can immediately bring back to your workplace. Empower yourself to engage your leaders and colleagues to create immediate and actionable change in how your business approaches access and inclusion.
- Lived experience that promotes action: The heartfelt stories and experiences shared on stage in 2023 resonated deeply with our delegates. We heard you felt seen, heard, and motivated to drive change within your organisations. In 2024, we commit to the inclusion of lived experience in every session, sharing stories that will continue to motivate us all to be agents of change.
New research explores workplace adjustments
We received a fantastic response to our workplace adjustments surveys in August. 180 organisations and 388 people who identify as having a disability, long-term illness and/or mental health condition responded to the surveys. We also conducted focus groups and in-depth interviews with representatives from organisations and individuals. A big thank you to everyone who promoted or responded to the surveys.
We will share the full research report at the end of the year but here are some of the key statistics:
Organisations (55%) and people with disability (62%) said the most commonly requested adjustment during the job seeking phase is providing information about the recruitment process or interview questions in advance.
People with disability said the top 3 most supportive adjustments in the workplace are:
- Being able to work from home.
- Flexible working hours.
- Taking time off for appointments, or taking breaks, to help manage a condition.
Organisations also confirmed they are the most frequently requested adjustments.
Almost half of respondents (46%) who identify as having disability or a condition reported increased job satisfaction as a result of workplace adjustments. But they have concerns in several areas, such as:
- Only 21% said that adjustments enabled progress on their career pathway.
- 56% said they are worried that their employer might treat them differently if they ask for a workplace adjustment.
- 45% are worried about co-workers' attitudes towards them if they get workplace adjustments.
Apply for our Directing Change program
Applications are now open for our 2024 Directing Change Scholarship program which provides leaders with disability with mentoring and governance skills to maximise their board career opportunities.
Australian Network on Disability, in partnership with the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD), is offering 15 full-fee scholarships for leaders with disability.
Applications close on October 1.
Successful applicants receive 8 months of mentoring with an Australian business leader and can undertake either the Foundations of Directorship program or the Company Directors Course at AICD in 2024.
Measure your access and inclusion activities
There are just three months left to take part in our 2023 Access & Inclusion Index! Now is the perfect time to get started on your submissions to see where your organisation stands in your disability confidence maturity.
Find out more about our Access and Inclusion Index or email our Access and Inclusion Index lead or phone 02 8270 9200.
Get more out of your membership
Our Member Experience Team is hosting an information session on Wednesday September 27 to ensure new member contacts get the most out of their Australian Network on Disability membership.
The Membership Information Session is for our Member Contacts who have joined us in 2023. We also extend this invitation to new contacts of our existing members. The virtual session is free.
Click here to find out more about the session or to register
You can make Parliament House more accessible
We are supporting the Department of Parliamentary Services review of accessibility at Australian Parliament House in Canberra.
To understand the accessibility of Parliament House, we are seeking feedback from people living with disability, chronic health conditions or injuries, and carers or support people with the aim of understanding:
- your experiences visiting Parliament House
- barriers you faced when visiting Parliament House, and
- what you think will improve access to Parliament House.
Fill in the survey to have your say on the accessibility of Australian Parliament House.
The survey takes approximately 15 to 20 minutes to complete and is open until midnight 2 October 2023. If you experience text box limits while sharing your feedback, you can send any additional feedback to AND at userexperience@and.org.au or call 02 8270 9209.
Jobseeker mentoring program hits record numbers
More than 150 people took part in the virtual closing event for the Autumn cohort of our Positive Action towards Career Engagement (PACE) program.
The cohort was our largest ever with 250 mentor applications and record-breaking 33 participating member organisations.
The closing event featured an amazing line-up of guest speakers.
If Members are interested in nominating their staff to support a jobseeker with disability, they can apply to take part in the PACE Autumn 2024 program before the end of the year. Submit a PACE EOI form via our website here, or contact Tia Kwan at tia.kwan@and.org.au.
How to support a Neurodiverse workforce
Untapped Talent is inviting organisations to take part in a free online training course designed to support the mental health and well-being of all employees including people with autism. The program, created by La Trobe University and developed using evidence-based content, supports the long-term employment of people with autism.
The two workplace-based training programs cover topics including job crafting collaborative strategies, online tools to facilitate performance discussions, identifying strengths, and barriers to success. The training was developed with support from DXC Technology and ANZ, in partnership with La Trobe University’s Olga Tennison Autism Research Centre (OTARC).
You can access the How to support a Neurodiverse workforce course here.
Help design a digital platform to manage NDIS complaints
Australian Network on Disability is working with nTrustus to gather feedback from people with disability and carers about their experiences making complaints relating to NDIS Providers.
The NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission has funded nTrustus to
co-design an online portal which is accessible and inclusive to manage complaints between NDIS participants and NDIS providers.
Complete the survey to share your experiences with making complaints. The survey will be open until Sunday September 17th, 2023. All responses will be confidential and anonymous. If you require this survey in an alternate format, you can contact Hayley Brooks on 02 8270 9209 or email userexperience@and.org.au
Upcoming disability confidence training sessions
Online facilitated training is a great way to improve your knowledge and your disability confidence. There are courses tailored for different areas of your business, providing value to your entire workforce.
We have availability for the following Disability Confident Workforce sessions.
- Tuesday, September 19 2023, 10am – 12pm (Sydney time)
- Tuesday, October 17 2023, 10am – 12pm (Sydney time)
- Tuesday, October 31 2023, 1:30pm – 3:30pm (Sydney time)
- Tuesday, November 14 2023, 10am – 12pm (Sydney time)
- Tuesday, November 28 2023, 1pm – 3pm (Sydney time)
- Tuesday, December 12 2023, 10am – 12pm (Sydney time)
Price for members: $195 per person. Price for non-members: $225 per person.
Latest disability sector news
- Government launches consultation for new Autism Strategy consultation for new national autism strategy
- NDIS architect calls for major changes to disability services
- Disability Hub Europe updates its Disability in Sustainability Guide
- Reimagining time will help employers support employees with disability
- Employers join campaign to address biases in AI recruitment tools
- UK reveals new plan to improve disability inclusion
Our Members
The Australian Network on Disability is a member-based national powerhouse of private, public and for-purpose organisations actively committed to inclusion of people with disability in business. Find out about the benefits of membership.
