Dear Reader, 

It’s important to acknowledge the considerable amount of good work which is currently underway to achieve greater inclusion of people with disability into Australian workplaces. We can sometimes be discouraged by statistics that show the unemployment rate for people with disability in Australia has not improved in 20 years. 

But behind those grim numbers are countless individuals and organisations - often working tirelessly out of view - who are improving the lives of people with disability. 

At Australian Disability Network we believe those changemakers shouldn’t be hidden from view. Your commitment and achievements should be recognised, celebrated, and replicated! 

In 2022 we launched the annual Disability Confidence Awards specifically to shine a spotlight on the efforts of individuals and organisations who are removing the barriers that exclude people with disability from the workforce. 

We cannot be what we cannot see, and the Disability Confidence Awards show us how we can all play a role in changing attitudes and systems to increase inclusion in the workplace by following the lead of our amazing award winners and nominees. 

These Awards cover seven categories and entries close on Friday 22 March.  

I encourage you all to let us see the work you and your organisation are doing by entering our awards. Submit your nominations now!

Tickets selling fast for IMPACT 2024! 

Don’t miss out on the opportunity to attend the premier disability and inclusion event in Australia.

IMPACT 2024, at the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre on May 9, 2024 features a stellar international and local lineup of influential speakers including former UN Secretary General’s Special Envoy on Disability and Accessibility, Professor Maria Soledad Cisternas Reyes, former Senior Vice President of Supply Chain & Logistics, Walgreens Randy Lewis Global Founder of Valuable 500 Caroline Casey, and Chief Accessibility Officer at Microsoft, Jenny Lay-Flurrie.  

We’re also delighted to announce the final lineup for our CEO Insights panel:

Meet our speakers  

Check out the incredible agenda 

Nominations to enter our annual Disability Confidence Awards close next week, Friday 22 March 2024. 

These awards recognise and celebrate organisations that have made systematic changes to their workplaces to become inclusive of employees and customers with disability, as well as individuals who have worked to promote disability inclusion. 

The awards will be announced at our awards night in Melbourne on Wednesday 8 May, 2024. 

Nominate yourself, your colleague, or your organisation for the following prestigious awards:

• Disability Inclusion Changemaker of the Year 
• Inclusive Initiative of the Year 
• Disability Employee Network of the Year 
• Supervisor of the Year
• Intern of the Year 
• Mentor of the Year 
• Mentee of the Year 

Find out more about the awards and apply

Purchase your awards night tickets

Australian Disability Network wins Zero Project Award 

Australian Disability Network was thrilled to receive the Zero Project Award on the topics of Inclusive Vocational and Training Models, for our work in delivering programs that increase the representation of people with disability in the workplace.  

Our CEO Corene Strauss and Head of Programs Sharon Kumar travelled to Vienna to accept the award during the Zero Project conference. 

Sharon was delighted to be a guest speaker discussing Entrepreneurship and Leadership Development for young people with disability. 

Click here to learn more about how we are working to increase disability representation in boardroom and on executive teams 

Leading organisations sign Accessible Technology Charter 

Some of Australia’s largest employers gathered in Melbourne last week to sign a public commitment that will ensure their technology is accessible to all their customers and employees. 

Representatives from ANZ, Australia Post, Ernst & Young, NBN Co, Microsoft, and Telstra signed Australian Disability Network’s Accessible Technology Charter at a launch event hosted by Ernst & Young. 

The Charter sets out 10 commitments to good practice on Information and Communication Technology (ICT) accessibility and is supported with tools and resources that will make it easier for organisations to select accessible technology. 

Australian Disability Network CEO Corene Strauss said: “We applaud the organisations that have committed to the Charter and we encourage and support all organisations to become signatories to the Charter.” 

For more information about the Charter, please contact Mirabel Mowat Smith, Acting Member Development Manager, Mirabel.MowatSmith@ausdn.org.au.
Read more about this event.

Develop your Access and Inclusion Plan with our Masterclass 

An Access and Inclusion Plan (also known as a Disability Action Plan) is a roadmap of clear goals and actions that an organisation will take to support the inclusion of people with disability as employees, customers, and stakeholders.  

Across 12 weeks, Australian Disability Network’s Access and Inclusion Plan Master Class participants complete a series of three online workshops and collaborative sessions to learn how to develop their Plan.  

Participating Master Class organisations can access a discounted rate for an Australian Disability Network’s Access and Inclusion Index – Introductory Report to check on the progress of their Access and Inclusion Plan.  

Applications close: Wednesday 20 March 

Register your interest by reaching out to memberexperienceteam@ausdn.org.au, 02 8270 9200 or with your Relationship Manager.  

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