Employment page
Employment page
Page last updated: 5 April 2012
The Disability Discrimination Act makes it unlawful to discriminate against people with disabilities in employment, including recruitment, terms and conditions of employment, and dismissal or termination.
This page is intended to provide a convenient entry point for resources on equal employment opportunity and disability which exist in various areas of the Commission s site, as well as links to resources from other organisations. Let us know if you are aware of other resources which should be referred to here or if there are materials on employment you would like to see available. See also the Commission s employers page dealing with other grounds of employment discrimination such as sex and race discrimination.
- Main Commission pages for employers and employees
- Brief guide on employment and the DDA
- Workers with mental Illness: A Practical Guide for Managers
- More detailed questions and answers on the DDA
- Practical solutions and advice on disability and employment issues
- National Inquiry on employment and disability
- National Mental Health and Disability Employment Strategy information
- DDA complaint decisions
- Speeches
- Other Commission resources
- Resources from State and Territory equal opportunity bodies
- Inquiries and reviews
- Other resources
- Employment statistics
Inquiry on employment and disability
National inquiry on employment and disability: index page (Links to Inquiry Report and other documents)
National Strategy on employment and disability
Brief guide on employment and the DDA
Our factsheet series on the DDA includes a brief guide on employment . More detailed materials and resources are available from links below on this page.
More detailed questions and answers on the DDA
Extensive guidance and advice on the DDA is available in the Commission's Guidance and information notes on employment.
Practical solutions and advice
- Job Access : Australian government one stop shop information site
- Universal Design in the Workplace toolkit from US National Center on Workforce and Disability
- U.S. Job Accommodation Network including an extensive and expanding list of accommodation ideas for people with various disabilities; situations and solutions; and low cost solutions ideas
- Realising potential: site from UK Employers Forum on Disability
- Diversity@work employer information page
- A place for All: A guide for creating an inclusive workplace (Canadian Human Rights Commission)
- "Working with people with different types of disabilities": from US Federal Office of Personnel Management
- Government of Canada Accessible Procurement Toolkit: information on accessible office facilities and equipment.
Complaint decisions
- Court decisions
- Commission decisions on employment complaints (in former Tribunal role)
- Termination decisions on employment complaints
- Conciliated outcomes in employment complaints
Speeches
- Workshop on employment issues ACROD national convention, Brighton (Sydney), 24 November 2004
Dr Sev Ozdowski OAM, Acting Disability Discrimination Commissioner - Risky business? Occupational health and safety and the Disability Discrimination Act Employers Making a Difference seminar, Sydney, 27 October 2004
Dr Sev Ozdowski OAM, Acting Disability Discrimination Commissioner - Disability Discrimination Developments Australian Industry Group National PIR (Personnel and Industrial Relations) Conference Canberra, 26 October 2004
Dr Sev Ozdowski OAM, Acting Disability Discrimination Commissioner - Launch of Western Australian government Accessing Abilities strategy
Dr Sev Ozdowski OAM, Acting Disability Discrimination Commissioner, Perth, 15 September 2004 - Opening the doors to employment of more people with a disability
ACROD Employment Forum Sydney Olympic Park 31 July 2003
Dr Sev Ozdowski OAM, Acting Disability Discrimination Commissioner - "Equal employment opportunity for people with disabilities: how to move from the theoretical to the actual": Speech by Sev Ozdowski, November 2001
- "The DDA and employment of people with a disability" : speech delivered by Chris Sidoti, Acting Disability Discrimination Commissioner 1997-99
Other Commission resources
- Submission to 2011 House of Representatives inquiry on mental health and employment (MS Word) or PDF version
- 1995 resource paper on possible employment standards
- 1996 draft disability standards on employment
- Comments on responses to first draft standards
- Second draft disability standards on employment
- Discussion paper for DDA 10th anniversary forum
Resources from State and Territory equal opportunity bodies
- NSW Anti-Discrimination Board guidelines for employers and managers
- NSW Director of Equal Opportunity in Public Employment "Managing adjustments: rights of people with a disability"
- SAEOC disability information sheets (public sector employment)
- Queensland Anti-Discrimination Commission "Disability Discrimination: Your rights and responsibilities"
- WA Office of Equal Employment Opportunity "Accent on Ability" (PDF file: large file)
- Northern Territory Commissioner for Public Employment strategy "Willing and Able" (PDF )
- Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission on pre-employment medical tests (PDF)
- South Australia Equal Opportunity Commission on pre-employment medical tests
- NSW Anti-Discrimination Board on pe-employment medical tests
Inquiries and reviews
- Employment of People with Disability in the APS: Management Advisory Committee review August 2006
- Review of the Employer Incentives Strategy (PDF) : Dept of Family and Community Services, 2003
- Participation support for a more equitable society - Final Report of the Reference Group on Welfare Reform
- Welfare reform: Background Information: Dept of Family and Community Services
- Supported Wage System Evaluation: Dept of Family and Community Services
- Senate Community Affairs Inquiry into Employment of People with Disabilities 1992
- National Employment Initiatives for People with Disabilities: Executive Summary (1990, Department of Community Services and Health, Labour and Disability Workforce Consultancy: reproduced by permission of FACS)
Other resources
Australian
- Commonwealth government publication: Better employment practices
- ACT Government disability employment strategy
- Australian Local Government Association publication Accessible Workplaces
- Better Practice Checklist: Assistive Technology (Australian Government Information Management Office)
- Disability Employment Australia
- Australian Employers Network on Disability
- Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry disability page
- National Employment Services Association
- ABC Employability video (Hypothetical with Geoffrey Robertson QC)
- ASCC Code of practice on HIV and blood borne diseases
- Advice on disclosure of disability : University of Western Sydney
Canada
- Accessible Procurement Toolkit and Workplace Accommodation Toolkit
- "Disability policies and programs: lessons learned": Human Resources Development Canada
- Canadian Human Rights Commission
- Canadian Council on Rehabilitation and Work including WorkInk resource site
- Ontario Human Rights Commission guidelines on duty to accommodate
U.K.
- Disability Rights Commission codes of practice
- UK Employers Forum on Disability
- U.K. Disability Rights Commission/Health and Safety Commission joint statement
- UK DRC disability assessment toolkit
Ireland
U.S.
- DisabilityInfo.gov : central US government web resource on disability
- Section 508.gov: home page for US government electronic and information technology accessibility standards
- U.S. Office of Disability Employment Policy including fact sheets and information on accommodating disabilities
- Open letter on employment and disability from U.S. corporate CEOs
- Employment and disability institute: Cornell University
- Electronic and Information technology Accessibility Standards (Rehabilitation Act s.508)
International
- International Labour Organisation disability page
- "Hiring without limits" : articles on IBM employment practice
Employment statistics
NSW public sector employment statistics
Australian Bureau of Statistics 1998 article on employment outcomes and disability
Australian Public Service State of Service Report 2003-4 chapter on disability
USA
Economics and people with disabilities Centre for an Accessible Society
ADA insights: evaluation of ADA implementation