Our submission on the National Disability Employment Strategy
May 24, 2021
Down Syndrome Australia (DSA) welcomes the opportunity to respond to the April 2021 National Disability Employment Strategy Consultation Paper. The paper proposes 4 key priority areas:
- 1) Lifting employer engagement capability and demand
- 2) Building employment skills, experience and confidence of young people with disability
- 3) Improving systems and services for jobseekers and employers
- 4) Changing community attitudes.
DSA supports the vision of the Strategy and proposed priority areas.
DSA is very concerned, however, that the Strategy does not acknowledge the additional barriers faced by people with intellectual disability and the need for specific strategies and supports to address these issues. We are also concerned that the Strategy continues to support the segregation of people with intellectual disability through Australian Disability Enterprises.
There is clear evidence that inclusive employment leads to better outcomes for people with disability, yet the majority of people with intellectual disability in Australia who are in the workforce participate in segregated employment due to a range of different reasons.
The National Disability Employment Strategy must include specific actions to address the barriers to open employment faced by people with intellectual disability. The Strategy is an opportunity for Australia to deliver on their commitment to the UNCRPD which states that people with a disability have the right to work on an equal basis to others.
Read our submission on the National Disability Employment Strategy in PDF here.
Read our submission on the National Disability Employment Strategy in Word here.