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Equal Pay, Equal Respect: we call on the next Australian Government to create real employment opportunities for people with an intellectual disability

With disability issues a key focus of the 2022 Federal Election campaign, Inclusion Australia is calling on the next Australian Government to make employment of people with an intellectual disability a priority.   

Inclusion Australia’s Our Voice committee – all people with an intellectual disability from across the country – have picked employment as the key policy area they want to campaign on for this Federal election. Our Voice believe that more people with an intellectual disability should have the opportunity to work in regular jobs, and earn money they can use in their lives. 

“People with disabilities have the right to work in the open job market like anyone else and get the training and support they need; this means no more sheltered employment.” – Our Voice, May 2022

People with an intellectual disability are excluded from open and self-employment, and their families face a significant workload to support them. 

The current employment policies are not working for people with an intellectual disability and their families, and big changes are needed. 

  • Just 14–18% of people with intellectual disability aged between 15–64 are in full or part-time employment
  • 60% of people in that group were not in the labour market at all
  • Just 29% of people with an intellectual disability who get NDIS supports are in paid employment (over 25 years old)
  • 77% of those are employed in a sheltered workshop or Australian Disability Enterprise (ADE) 

The Disability Royal Commission also recently heard that people with an intellectual disability are being paid just $2.50 an hour for their work. We do not think this is fair or respectful. People with an intellectual disability should be paid a fair wage for their work.

We talked with and listened to people with an intellectual disability, their families, our members, disability advocates, academics, and disability employment service providers to develop a range of policies that will:

  • reduce segregated employment
  • create more open and self-employment opportunities
  • make it easier to get and maintain open and self-employment for people with an intellectual disability and their families.  
  • help remove the barriers that people with an intellectual disability and their families experience when looking for work. 

We believe our plan will create real change in the lives of people with an intellectual disability and their families, as well as making a significant economic return by investing in inclusion. 

Read our plan in full here: Equal Pay Equal Respect – Inclusion Australia’s Federal Election platform 2022

Read our plan in Easy Read here: Equal Pay Equal Respect – Inclusion Australia’s Election Platform 2022 – Easy Read

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