Webinar: Lessons from disability employment project IncludeAbility

The IncludeAbility pilot programs

How can we reimagine disability employment in Australia, to the benefit of individuals, organisations, and the wider community? 

Watch this webinar, delivered in November 2023, to learn about the Australian Human Rights Commission’s successful IncludeAbility disability employment project, and how the insights gained can pave the way for a better future. 

Australia ranks poorly on the world stage when it comes to employing people with disability. Just 53% of people with disability aged 15-64 are in the workforce, compared with 84% of people the same age without disability, and this participation rate has barely changed in 30 years. 

This year, IncludeAbility - an initiative of the Australian Human Rights Commission – ran two three-month disability employment pilots across the country, where 30 people with disability were employed at award wages in large organisations. The pilots had exceptional success, with most of the participants accepting ongoing roles at the workplaces.

This webinar is for you if you: 

• Want to learn how your company or organisation can increase meaningful job opportunities for people with disability. 
• Work in the disability or employment sectors. 
• Are curious about how we can close the labour participation gap between people with disability and people without disability.

Watch the webinar recording

Post-webinar Q+A

During the webinar we received many questions from the audience that we were unable to answer due to time constraints. You can find the questions and answers here.

Presenters 

Emeritus Professor Rosalind Croucher AM

Acting Disability Discrimination Commissioner and President of the Australian Human Rights Commission

Emeritus Professor Rosalind Croucher AM was appointed as President of the Australian Human Rights Commission in July 2017, after seven and a half years as President of the Australian Law Reform Commission. One of the inquiries she led at the ALRC concerned Equality, Capacity and Disability Commonwealth Laws (2014). In 2014 she was acknowledged for her contributions to public policy as one of Australia’s ‘100 Women of Influence’ and was awarded the Australian Women Lawyer’s award. In the Australia Day Honours list, 2015, Professor Croucher was made a Member of the Order of Australia and in in 2016 Macquarie University conferred on her the title of Emeritus Professor.

Professor Simon Darcy 

Ambassador, IncludeAbility

Professor Simon Darcy believes passionately in the rights of all people to fully participate in community life. A Professor in Management at UTS Business School and Co-Lead of the UTS Disability Research Network, he specialises in developing inclusive organisational approaches for diversity groups. To this work, Simon brings an insider's perspective as someone with lived experience of disability through a high level spinal cord injury where he has experienced the nondisabled world and the very different ableist world from a disability perspective. He became the first complete quadriplegic to be a professor in an Australian university. Simon relished the opportunity to be involved with IncludeAbility as a fresh approach to trying to improve the employment rates of people with disabilities that have remained stubbornly low for the last 30 years.

Geoff Trappett OAM

Disability Inclusion Lead, Woolworths 

Geoff Trappett OAM is a former Paralympic Athlete. Competing in Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004 Paralympics. Winning Gold in Sydney, being the first person to dip under the 14 second mark for the 100m wheelchair sprint, holding this world record through his retirement in 2005.   Following on from sport Geoff has transitioned to working professionally in multiple senior executive roles within the disability sector spanning both human service providers and disabled person-run advocacy organisations. After 10 years senior management experience in the human services and serving as a board member of Australian Federation of Disability Organisations and Physical Disability Australia Geoff is now 18 months into his role as Disability Inclusion Lead for Woolworths Group. Working to remove societal barriers for people with disabilities as both customers and team members.

Kane Blackman

Chief Executive Officer, Good Sammy Enterprises 

Kane leads Good Sammy, an iconic Western Australian charity that operates social enterprises in which over 700 people work, including almost 400 people with a disability.   His previous senior executive roles have been in the WA State Government, in private equity and in the resource sector.   Kane’s passion is working in commercial environments to drive improved outcomes for vulnerable people, which is informed by his experience as a father of a child with a rare disease.   Kane holds the following Board roles: Chair, Ministerial Advisory Council on Disability; Non-Executive Director, Rare Voices Australia; Non-Executive Director, Therapy Focus; Member, Future Health Research, and Innovation Advisory Council; President, Leederville Sporting Club; Non-Executive Director, Charitable Recycling Australia

Professor Erin Wilson

Centre for Social Impact, Swinburne University of Technology 

Professor Erin Wilson is a leading researcher and thinker in participatory social change. She has a record of accomplishment in the areas of disability and inclusion and, prior to this, Indigenous community management and development. Professor Wilson's research career has focused on research that ‘makes a difference’ through participation of those most affected and high utility of the research products. Working collaboratively with key stakeholders, she has sought to influence policy and practice through strongly embedded projects that directly interface with stakeholder activities and offer immediate translation opportunities into policy and practice. Professor Wilson currently holds the Uniting Chair in Community Services Innovation at the Centre for Social Impact Swinburne.