State of the Nation Report on Disability Employment
- 7 days ago
- 3 min read
Your voice.
Your experience.
Australia's future workforce.
Help shape Australia's first National Benchmark for Disability Employment
Australia's employers have always been central to creating opportunity.
Now, they're central to shaping the future of disability employment.
DEInvestments is proud to launch the State of the Nation Report on Disability Employment Employer Survey. A national opportunity for employers to help shape Australia's first benchmark for disability employment.
State of the Nation Report on Disability Employment: Building Australia's National Picture of Disability Employment
Australia has a significant opportunity to strengthen workforce participation for people with disability.
Today, around 2.7 million working-age Australians identify as having disability. Of these, approximately 1.7 million experience an employment restriction, with more than 923,000 people currently unemployed or not participating in the labour market and a further 83,000 underemployed.
While governments, employers and the disability sector have made important progress over many years, there remains an opportunity to better understand what is working, where barriers continue to exist, and how Australia can collectively improve employment outcomes for people with disability.
That is why DEInvestments is leading the development of the State of the Nation Report on Disability Employment.
Creating a National Benchmark
The State of the Nation Report will provide Australia's first comprehensive, evidence-based picture of disability employment.
Rather than focusing on a single program or policy, the report takes a whole-of-system view of disability employment, bringing together national data, employer perspectives, sector expertise and lived experience to better understand the current state of disability employment across Australia.
Importantly, the report is designed to do more than describe the current landscape. It will establish a national benchmark that can be measured over time, enabling Australia to monitor progress, identify emerging trends, evaluate what is working and support more informed decision-making across the disability employment ecosystem.
The findings will help governments, employers, service providers and Disability Representative Organisations engage in an ongoing national conversation about disability employment and the actions needed to improve employment outcomes for people with disability.
Measuring what matters
The State of the Nation Report combines multiple sources of evidence to provide a comprehensive picture of disability employment.
The framework examines three key areas:
Employment outcomes, including workforce participation, unemployment, underemployment, job quality and workplace inclusion.
Drivers of change, using the internationally recognised ADKAR behavioural change framework to understand employer readiness, capability and sustained organisational change.
System context, including policy settings, economic conditions, demographic trends and other factors influencing disability employment outcomes.
The project also draws upon nationally recognised datasets, including the Survey of Disability, Ageing and Carers (SDAC) and the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey, ensuring the report is built on robust and credible evidence.
A collaborative, sector-led initiative
The State of the Nation Report has been designed as a genuinely collaborative initiative.
Led by DEInvestments and delivered in partnership with Deloitte Access Economics and Wallis Social Research, the project brings together expertise in disability employment, economics, behavioural research, public policy and research.
The project is also guided by a Steering Committee comprising leaders from Disability Representative Organisations, peak bodies and industry organisations with extensive expertise in disability employment. Their strategic guidance helps ensure the report reflects the priorities of the disability community while maintaining a strong focus on practical system improvement.
Throughout the project, disability advocacy organisations will continue to play an active role in shaping the research, supporting engagement across disability communities, interpreting findings and informing future development of the report.
Listening to diverse experiences
Disability is not a single experience.
People experience disability differently depending on their disability type, support needs, employment history, age and location. Recognising this diversity, the State of the Nation Report will seek input from a broad range of people with disability through accessible and inclusive research approaches.
Participants will have opportunities to contribute through accessible online surveys, individual interviews and facilitated discussions, ensuring people can engage in ways that best suit their communication preferences and support needs.
Where appropriate, families, carers and support networks will also be engaged to support participation and ensure diverse perspectives are represented.
Looking ahead
The State of the Nation Report represents an important step towards building a stronger evidence base for disability employment in Australia.
By combining national data, sector leadership, employer perspectives and the experiences of people with disability, the report will provide practical insights that can inform policy, guide investment, strengthen employer capability and support better employment outcomes across the country.
At DEInvestments, we believe meaningful change is built on collaboration, evidence and shared commitment. The State of the Nation Report is designed to bring these elements together and help shape the future of disability employment in Australia.
Want to stay informed?
Follow @DEInvestments on LinkedIn and register your interest to receive project updates, participate in future engagement opportunities, or be notified when the inaugural State of the Nation Report is released.
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