Last month, Diversity Council Australia (DCA) released a guide to help employers capture disability data safely and respectfully. 

People with disability are far more likely to be unemployed than people without disability. According to DCA, it is only very recently that participation in the labour force has improved by more than a few percent. Yet participation was still only at 61% in 2022 for people with disability compared with 85% for people without disability, and this does not take into consideration career opportunity or underemployment. 

In fact, people with disability in Australia not only face higher unemployment rates, they face discrimination, lower income, and underrepresentation in leadership roles. 

According to the DCA, non-inclusive recruitment is a major contributor, as is the treatment of people with disability in the workplace, who experience higher levels of discrimination and harassment. DCA states 1 in 5 people in Australia still think organisations should be able to refuse to hire people with disability. 

If perception and education is an issue, it is up to us to change that. Germany for example, provides comprehensive rights and protections for people with disabilities, mandating that employers with over 20 employees must ensure that at least 5% of their workforce comprises people with disabilities. Non-compliance results in a compensatory levy, which funds various disability inclusion programs. This has increased participation and educated employees along the way. 

The business case for inclusiveness 

Research reveals a strong case for change to create disability-inclusive and accessible workplaces – for organisations and for people with disability. We know that diversity and inclusion is good for business, as it leads to increased profits, innovation and is better for mental health. 

When organisations embrace leading practices for employing and supporting people with disability, a study by Accenture in 2020 found, companies had 28% higher revenue and 30% higher profit margins than their peers not implementing best practice.   

People with disabilities are also innovative, because they have had to design ways in which they can participate in a society not centred around their needs. Examples of innovations include cruise control in vehicles, the phonograph, text or touch features on our phones, the electric toothbrush, and the internet. 

DCA also claims employees with disability who work in inclusive organisations are four times more likely to feel work has a positive impact on their mental health, compared to employees with disability working in non-inclusive organisations. These are compelling arguments for organisations. 

Understanding disability within your organisation 

There are 5.5 million Australians (21.4%) with disability in 2024, which is up from 17.7% in 2018. This makes up a significant portion of the population and potential workforce. Several factors contribute to this substantial increase in just six years, notably a growing awareness of disability in Australia, a prevalence of some long-term health conditions and an ageing population. The reporting mechanism also changed to help people feel more comfortable to disclose their disability. 

Asking whether your workforce is representative of the population is a good place to start. Realistically, many organisations may not know. Collecting disability status data in the workforce is crucial to addressing these challenges. Yet, 40% of employees with disability surveyed by the DCA say their current employer doesn’t capture this data and a third haven’t shared their disability status with their employer. 

The DCA highlight four barriers that people have in disclosing disability: 

• Fear of discrimination and harassment 
• Impact sharing might have on career and leadership opportunities 
• Concerns about data privacy and safety 
• Lack of disability awareness and confidence in organisations 

There are several actions organisations can take to prevent this according to DCA. Firstly, be more proactive on discrimination and harassment specific to disability, redefine what ‘success’ in your organisation looks like, ensure data privacy and safety and building disability awareness and confidence through training. This will also include ensuring your workplace is physically accessible and equipped with necessary accommodations, including assistive technologies and flexible work arrangements and inclusive recruitment practices. For larger organisations, employee resource groups can also be useful. 

Case Study: SAP Autism at Work 

For companies that are trying to become more inclusive, a specialised program that is relevant to the organisation can be another way to improve inclusiveness. 

SAP, a global leader in enterprise software, launched Autism at Work in 2013 in India.  They were the first global tech company to develop a program to leverage the unique abilities of people with autism. When neurodiverse perspectives are missing from the workforce, there is a lost opportunity for innovation and creativity. SAP were intentional about seeking these candidates and adjusting recruiting processes, removing the barriers to entry they frequently face. 

Today, SAP has over 160 employees with autism in 14 countries, across 28 locations and in 25+ job types.  They also believe it has helped their managers become better leaders and resulted in many employees being diagnosed as adults due to increased awareness. 

Bayside Group and our affiliate brand, Acclaimed Workforce, work with our clients to help them reach their inclusivity goals. Learn how Acclaimed Workforce worked with Torresan Estate to provide a career path for Nathan in his own words. 



If you are looking for inclusive recruitment assistance, talk to Bayside Group today.