Project details

Status: Current

The Toolkit for Business includes a curated selection of tools and resources which are designed to help you and your teams learn about disability inclusion practices and how to implement them in your workplace or team.

The resources on this page relate to five key topics:

  • Why inclusive employment matters – Everyone benefits from an inclusive and accessible workplace.
  • Understanding Disability – Resources that explain how attitudes disable, demystifying diverse communication needs, and inclusive language.
  • Inclusive Recruitment – Resources that include a Quick Employer Guide to disability employment, ‘Elephant in the Interview’ podcast, accessible on-boarding and more.
  • Inclusive Workplace – What ‘good’ looks like, self-assessment of disability inclusion, making digital resources and meetings accessible.
  • Mental Health – Supporting a neurodiverse workforce, mental health first aid training and more.

Some creative options for how to use these resources include:

  • Adding them to your induction process for new staff.
  • Using the videos in staff training on diversity and inclusion.
  • Building your own ‘Lunch and Learn’ sessions around a particular topic e.g. diverse communication styles or language matters.
  • Building awareness and capability of business leaders and supervisors through leadership training on specific topics.
  • Sharing with staff to help them understand more about disability.

These tools and resources were compiled by Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand, CPA Australia, and JFA Purple Orange.

Projects

  1. Dig In
  2. Digital Inclusion Project
  3. Disability Inclusion Training
  4. Enabled Youth Disability Network (EYDN)
  5. Inclusive Neighbourhoods
  6. Inclusive School Communities
  7. My Home My Way
  8. Our Voice SA
  9. Quality Support Worker Project
  10. Regional Employment Project
  11. Road to Employment
  12. SKILL SA
  13. Together We Learn
  14. Tourism Local Navigator Pilot Project
A man using a wheelchair sits at a white desk, writing in a notebook while participating in a video call on his laptop. A woman is visible on the screen with a nature background. The setting is a bright indoor space with a white wall and a wooden desk organiser.

Why inclusive employment matters

People with disability face a wide range of barriers to employment – some physical, some attitudinal, and others related to non-inclusive recruitment practices and workplace culture.

Over the last few decades, resources have been directed towards making disabled people ‘job ready’. Initiatives have failed to address unconscious bias, gaps in knowledge and understanding of disability, as well as physical and systemic barriers that keep people out.

We believe that inclusive workplaces are a key component of inclusive communities. Everyone benefits from an accessible and inclusive workplace, not just people with disability.

Ultimately, if more people with disability were employed in mainstream settings, particularly in leadership and decision-making roles, the diversity of their skills, experiences and perspectives would be reflected in the work that is produced and the decisions that are made.

Make your commitment to disability inclusion matter, starting with your workplace.

A woman using a wheelchair, with long blonde hair and a pink top talking to another woman with long orange hair and a black top. They are sitting at a cafe table.

Understanding disability

Disability is a normal part of life which contributes to the vibrant diversity of the human experience. Disability can be permanent, temporary, visible or invisible.

Disability affects 1 in 6 people. This means it’s likely there are people in your organisation living with a disability. Understanding disability is the first and most important step to creating an inclusive and disability confident workforce.

Resources to help you understand disability

Podcast: How Attitudes Disable

Published 28 July 2017

Listen to podcast

Video: Demystifying Diverse Communication

Hear from six people with diverse communication needs as they share how they connect, what to avoid, and why communication should never be a barrier.

Watch video

Video: Language Matters

Five people with disability share how language can harm, include, or affirm identity — and why words matter for inclusion.

Watch video

Inclusive language tips for employers

How you communicate can affect how comfortable and valued people feel at work. This includes employees with disability. Respect and sensitivity are key to building an inclusive workplace.

Read more

What is disability?

Learn more about the shift in the way disability is viewed and understood – away from a medical model and towards the social model of disability.

Read more

Purple Orange Language Guide

The findings of our Language Survey report informed the latest edition of the Language Guide, developed by JFA Purple Orange, which aims to support respectful and inclusive language choices when discussing and describing disability. Access the report and the Language Guide via the link below.

Read the report and Language Guide
A woman is sitting in a wheelchair at a desk, talking to another person.

Inclusive recruitment

Simple changes to make your recruitment practices more inclusive

With some simple changes, your workplace can adopt a more inclusive recruitment process. These changes will support you to attract the best talent and comply with the Disability Discrimination Act 1992.

The resources below can assist you to recruit with confidence.

Resources for inclusive recruitment

Inclusive Recruitment Video Series

Fear of the unknown is often what holds us back from trying something new or different. That’s why we created this video series – to give employers a better understanding of small steps they can take to make their recruitment and employment practices more inclusive.

 

Watch our Inclusive Recruitment Video Series

Podcast: Elephant in the Interview

After graduating from her accounting degree, Daniella Biagi really struggled to get a job. She had no problem getting to the interview stage, but she said there was always an elephant in the room that no one wanted to talk about.

Listen to podcast

Videos: Recruitment recommendations

Watch short video interviews which provide insight into the benefits that diversity brings to the workplace, how COVID-19 changed our approach to, and acceptance of, flexible work arrangements, and things to consider when interviewing people with disability.

Additionally, find guidance on how to approach interview questions.

Videos: Recruitment recommendations

Guide: Sharing and Monitoring Disability Information in your Workforce

Disability in your workplace may be invisible, but you may be unsure about how to ask people about it. This guide helps you prepare before you ask, understand when to ask, and know what to ask. Produced by the Australian Network on Disability, in collaboration with Business Council of Australia.

Download the guide

Additional resources

A woman with long, blonde hair types on a laptop at a white desk. The laptop screen displays enlarged white text on a black background, suggesting the use of assistive technology for low vision. The desk is decorated with green plants.

Inclusive workplace

An inclusive workplace celebrates and values difference. Employees don’t need to hide their disability or health condition and can give their best to the role. Creating an accessible workplace is not as difficult or expensive as you might think, and changes benefit everyone.

Start your journey for creating an inclusive workplace by signing up for inclusion training or business mentoring and check out the resources below.

Build your disability and inclusion capability

JFA Purple Orange’s Disability Inclusion Training is delivered in a safe and judgement-free learning environment. Attendees increase their knowledge and confidence to incorporate inclusive practices in both their personal and professional lives.

Each 3-hour session is co-facilitated by two experienced facilitators with diverse disability. Our engaging facilitators bring a wealth of personal experience that makes the training content relatable and relevant.

Learn about our Disability Inclusion Training.

Fear of the unknown is often what holds us back from trying something new or different. In this video series, learn from people with disability about how to create a more inclusive workplace.

Watch our Inclusive Employment Video Series.

In 2023, the JFA Purple Orange ran the #OneSmallThing campaign. We asked people to do one small thing each day, for seven days leading up to International Day of People with Disability (IDPwD).

Each day focused on a different area where small actions can make a big difference for inclusion. Visit our campaign page for stories, resources, and practical tips in the areas of digital communication, language, employment, housing and community, education, technology, and events.

Visit our One Small Thing campaign.

From inclusive recruitment tools to accessible websites, learn how to better harness – and retain – the talents of people with disabilities.

Read the article.

Bite-Size Learning: Purple Orange Podcast episodes

Underrepresented, undervalued, and underpaid: Breaking through employment barriers

Join Gavin as he takes listeners through his employment journey and what that has looked like at various stages of his career. Things could have turned out very differently for him, but he knew the universe was telling him to take a chance…

Find out how he carved out his own path and created new opportunities for himself.

6 Tips for Good Engagement

It is great that more businesses, organisations and government talk about engaging the disability community. But, if they are only doing tokenistic tick and flick engagement, it’s not going to make much difference.

This episode gives you six key tips for good engagement.

Nice, but not really

In this episode of the Purple Orange Podcast, Jae Marie Jaensch explains some of the ways language is regularly used in ways that are harmful to the disability community. But she’s not talking about disability slurs or victimising language. Instead, she guides us through something much trickier; things people think are nice, but actually aren’t.

If you are an ally, or want to be an ally, to the disability community, this episode is for you.

Claiming your right to risk

What if the biggest risk was not taking one?

Ellen refused to let fear, hers or anyone else’s, dictate her life. From working overseas to chasing bold adventures, listen to how she challenged expectations, claimed her right to adventure and risk, and found freedom on her own terms along the way.

Three people sit together at a table, smiling and engaged in drawing or colouring in. The table is covered with art supplies and sheets of paper with sketches.

Mental health

Every year, one in five Australians experiences a mental health condition.

Workplaces that promote mental health and wellbeing and create a supportive and inclusive culture are more likely to benefit from increased productivity, reduced absenteeism and higher job retention rates.

Take a step towards managing and nurturing the mental health and wellbeing of your employees by letting them know where to access information and support, such as the resources below.

Beyond Blue – Work and mental health
Mental Health First Aid training
Training resource – Supporting a neurodiverse workforce [PDF]
Blueprint for Mentally Healthy Worksplaces