Common purpose:
Why we exist
Too many people with disability remain outside Australia’s workforce.
According to the Survey of Disability, Ageing and Carers 2022, there are 2.7 million working-age people with disability in Australia (SDAC 2022), of whom 1.7 million have an employment restriction that arises from their disability.
This does not mean people with disability cannot work. Rather, it reflects how work is currently designed and structured in ways that limit equitable access, participation, and progression. The issue often lies in work design and systems, not individual capability.
Of the 1.7 million people, 923,000 are unemployed or not participating in work. A further 83,000 are underemployed.
People with disability face:
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Significantly lower employment participation
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Significantly higher unemployment
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Significantly higher part-time employment
What’s stopping 923,000 people with disability from engaging in work?
Australia is facing a fundamental socio‑economic challenge. Employers currently lack the structures, pathways and confidence to access the available workforce of people with disability.
We have identified five limitations to employers' ability and confidence in employing people with disability.
1
Awareness
Many employers are not aware that there is a significant cohort of people that can meet their workforce needs.
2
Fear
Employers with limited experience working with people with disability can be uncertain about what this might involve.
3
Risk
Employers can over-anticipate that a person with disability may introduce additional operational risks to the business.
4
Cost
Employers can be concerned that adjustments to the workplace will be expensive and a financial burden in terms of profit and time.
5
Capability
Even when these factors are addressed, many employers are unsure how to maximise the business opportunity of employing people with disability.
The challenge.
One employer, multiple supply-side ‘push’ approaches.
These five limitations are amplified by program design and incentives for disability employment services that largely operate through a supply‑side ‘push’ model.
This focuses on pushing potential employees toward employers for roles that may or may not exist, rather than understanding employer demand and job design through a ‘pull’ mechanism.
This ‘push’ approach is also not well aligned with how businesses hire. Employers tend to recruit reactively, operating on a ‘find a person when you need a person’ principle and relying on familiar, time‑efficient channels when an urgent workforce need arises. In these moments, alternative labour supply options are often not considered, limiting access to this broader pool of capable workers.
The opportunity.
From supply ‘push’ to a demand side ‘pull’ approach.
We see potential for a shift from the current employee supply-side push model’s many-to-one approach to an employer demand-side pull model – a one-to-many approach.
