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DRC Discussion Topic 1, Employment

Background information

The Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability released its Final Report on 29 September 2023 after four and a half years of inquiry. 

Almost 10,000 people shared their stories with the Royal Commission.
The Royal Commission looked at what governments, institutions and the community should do to prevent people with disability experiencing any form of violence, abuse, neglect or exploitation. 

It was focused on key areas including employment, education, employment, justice settings, healthcare and disability services.

Of the six commissioners who wrote the recommendations, two identify as living with disability and one is a parent of a daughter living with multiple sclerosis.

The Final Report makes 222 recommendations. 

Some of the recommendations are the responsibility of the Commonwealth Government, some are for State Governments, and some require collaboration between the two governments. 

The South Australian Government is writing a formal response to the recommendations.

The response will include if and how the South Australian Government will act on the recommendations that have been made by the Royal Commission.

The response is due by 31 March 2024.

As part of this process, the South Australian Government wants to ensure the voices of people with disability, their families are included.

The South Australian Government has asked Purple Orange to facilitate the sessions. 
These sessions are an opportunity for people with lived experience to make sure their views are considered when the South Australian Government responds to the Royal Commission.

Feedback from these sessions will be captured and included in a written section of the South Australian response. 

The sessions:
The South Australian Government has asked Purple Orange to facilitate six sessions focused on key areas of the Royal Commission Report. Session topics and dates listed here. 

Some of the main recommendations from the Royal Commission include:

  • A new Disability Rights Act
  • A new Disability Commission to manage the Disability Rights Act
  • A new Federal Disability Minister
  • A new National Disability Agreement between all governments in relation to funding
  • Improvement to safeguarding practices and laws
  • Improving disability support worker screening and recruitment processes

 

Commissioners disagreed about whether settings that separate people living with disability from non-disabled people (like group homes, ‘special’ schools, and supported employment) should continue or be phased out.

The commissioners who live with disability or have disability in their family want segregated settings to end by being phased out for different options.

The other commissioners do not want the segregated settings to end.

The commissioners who do want them phased out suggested long timelines to do this.

First Session - Employment

When talking about employment, the Royal Commission recommended:

  • The Disability Discrimination Act is amended. This means more incentive for employers to take steps to prevent discrimination.
  • Most of the commissioners believe places that employ only people with disability, usually at below minimum wages, are ‘segregated settings’ that should be phased out over ten years. 
  • A new Disability Employment Services (DES) model should replace the current program from 1 July 2025. The new model’s aim should be to support people with disability starting or moving into long-term employment and careers they choose. 
  • The Australian Government and state and territory governments adopt targets to increase the number of employees with disability at all levels of the public sector. This includes entry level up to management and executive. 
  • Government departments and agencies be required to set a target to ensure a proportion of new public service hires are people with disability. The target should be at least 7 per cent by 2025 increasing to at least 9 per cent by 2030. 
  • Public sector employment strategies must include strong accountability measures and provide for ongoing review and reform.
  • Government should adopt procurement policies that:
    • Favour businesses who demonstrate they are providing employment opportunities for people with disability in open, inclusive and accessible settings.
    • Require all information and communication technology purchases to comply with the current Australian information and communication technology accessibility standard.
  • The Australian Government should develop a transition plan to support people with disability working in Australian Disability Enterprises to move to more inclusive, open employment options. The plan should incorporate:
    • Action to increase employment opportunities in open and inclusive settings for people with disability, including by the NDIS adopting an ‘open employment first’ approach in the next iteration of the Participant Employment Strategy
    • The option for people with disability to continue working in ADEs, with strong and appropriate safeguards, if that is their free and informed choice (some commissioners support this until ADEs are phased out)
    • Better information for people with disability about employment supports, opportunities in other settings, wages and the Disability Support Pension. 
  • All commissioners recommend the Australian Government raise subminimum wages for people with disability in three stages:
    • Stage 1. Subminimum wages for people with disability should increase to at least 50 per cent of the minimum wage. 
    • Stage 2. After five years, the Disability Reform Ministerial Council should review the impact of the increase in subminimum wages.
    • Stage 3. The Australian Government should use the review to develop a pathway to lift minimum wages of employees with disability to 100 per cent of the minimum wage by 2034

 

Key questions for employment session:

Some of the Commissioners have recommended phasing out supported workplaces designed to only employ people with disability – also known as ‘Australian Disability Enterprises’ or ADEs. 

  • Do you think ADEs should be phased out? 
  • What is your experience with employment? either in ADEs or in a mainstream workplace or both?

The Royal Commission has recommended that the Government increase the number of people working in the public service.  

  • What barriers do you think currently exist for people with disability to work in the public service?   
  • What can government do to make the public sector a better place for people with disability to work?

Royal Commission has recommended that Governments should increase the percentage of people working in the public service to 7% by 2025 and 9% by 2030.

  • Are you supportive of these targets? 

Looking at the summary of the recommendations, did the Royal Commission miss any key issues relating to employment that you would have liked to have seen in the final report? 

What is the most important priority to you when it comes to employment of people with disability? What should the Government focus on in the next year?