National peak disability and advocacy groups condemn the decision by the Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) to allow the Australian Government and sheltered workshops (also known as Australian Disability Enterprises or ‘ADEs’) to continue to discriminate against employees with disability. However, we also applaud the AHRC for placing the final nail in the coffin of … Continued
Despite international and national guarantees of equal rights, there remains a great deal to be done to achieve global employment equality for individuals with disabilities. In OECD countries, the employment rate of persons with disabilities was just over 40%, compared to 75% for persons without a disability; in many low- and middle-income countries, the employment … Continued
Lawyers acting for thousands of underpaid intellectually disabled workers will lodge a court application on Monday seeking to block the federal government’s scheme to tackle the underpayments. Legal firm Maurice Blackburn will file a Federal Court action in an attempt to stop 10,000 intellectually disabled employees at sheltered workshops signing away their legal rights to … Continued
This guide was developed in response to requests by Australian employers for a better alignment of Disability Employment Services (DES) with the employer recruitment processes of organisations. This online module is a tool to actively support DES providers to develop sustainable relationships with employers, and to achieve job outcomes. It’s flexible format allows you to work … Continued
Forty-five per cent of the two million Australians living with a disability, live in or near poverty, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. This is partly because most of us spend much of the small income we receive on services and supports. The new national disability insurance scheme will address this over … Continued
I recently made some widely reported comments about helping more disabled people – particularly disability support pensioners – into jobs. In response, I received two death threats and about 50 emails, phone calls and letters, many from people who wished me in fairly graphic terms – how do I say this politely? – to refrain … Continued
The disability and aged-care workforce, already one of the fastest-growing in Australia, will need to expand by a fifth in the next four years as major Labor reforms worth billions power up. That this will also happen against a backdrop of a rapidly ageing workforce presents unique problems for the sector, according to a new … Continued
The national disability insurance scheme DisabilityCare Australia is at risk of ”grinding to a halt” unless enough workers can be trained to provide care by the time the program is running in 2018, according to community sector workforce analysis. Community Services and Health Industry Skills Council chief executive Rod Cooke said there was a critical … Continued
Disability rights activists say some people with intellectual disabilities are being short-changed when it comes to superannuation. The Federal Government is being urged to change super laws so that low-earning workers with disabilities qualify for super payments. Parents fear their children will end up on welfare despite being quite capable of working.
Access to employment is a fundamental right that everybody should be able to enjoy. However, discrimination based on characteristics such as age, race, disability, and parental or carer status can prevent some people from gaining employment, even if they are the best person for the job. Discrimination can happen at different stages of the recruitment … Continued
It’s estimated only half of the more than two million Australians with disabilities who are of working age are employed. Disability advocates want to close this gap. And agencies and businesses that employ people with disabilities say the economic benefits are too hard to ignore.
VicHealth has identified five areas where workplaces can begin to make advances, not only in improving the health of employees and preventing future problems, but also in enhancing productivity and reducing absenteeism and staff turnover. The Creating Healthy Workplaces program is structured around five areas: reducing stress promoting equal and respectful relationships between men and … Continued
The brochures aim to assist people to understand their rights, identify situations where their rights are not being met and know what actions they can take The series of five Know Your Rights brochures are entitled: About Us Age Discrimination Disability Discrimination Race Discrimination Sex Discrimination The About Us brochure explains what the Commission does … Continued
This panel session was presented at the 2012 Strengthening Disability Advocacy Conference: You Be The Judge held at Melbourne Park Conference Centre. The session was moderated by Sharon Granek, DARU. Panel members included: Kairsty Wilson, Principal Lawyer, AED Legal Service Gordon Prior, Consumer Riki Domagalski, Consumer People First, NZ This is a biennial event hosted … Continued