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There are several different questions that need to be addressed to foster equality of opportunity for people with disabilities in employment. These questions include:

One of the goals of the Inquiry is to identify and develop practical strategies to address some of the factors that act as a disincentive to employers hiring people with disabilities.

This Issues Paper sets out the context for the National Inquiry into Employment and Disability. It includes some of the recently available statistics regarding the employment of people with disabilities in Australia.

From the outset of this Inquiry, it was apparent that there was a need for clearer information on the services offered by the Commonwealth regarding employment of people with disabilities.

WORK ABILITY PEOPLE WITH DISABILITY IN THE OPEN WORKPLACE INTERIM REPORT OF THE NATIONAL INQUIRY INTO EMPLOYMENT AND DISABILITY Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission August 2005 Table of Contents Executive Summary and interim recommendations Abbreviations 1. Background to the Inquiry 2. Information needs, costs and risks for employers 3. Information needs, costs and risks for people…

However, as discussed in Chapter 7, the Inquiry is conscious of the need for a holistic approach to addressing the participation and employment of people with disability in the open workplace. Therefore the areas identified in this Chapter should not be taken in isolation of other approaches to the issue of employment of people with disability.

The preceding chapters of this report are a summary of the main issues raised in the submissions and consultations already conducted by the Inquiry. The issues have been grouped into themes as follows:

The issue of participation of people with disability in the open workforce has been the subject of much public debate in recent months. This is largely the result of the 'Welfare to Work' package announced in the May 2005 Commonwealth Budget. However, the issue is a longstanding one, as indicated in the submissions to the Inquiry.

No person can achieve a smooth transition and successful entry into the open workforce unless they are 'job ready', and this is especially the case for people with disability.

Discussion about people with disability in the open workplace tends to focus on whether a person can find a job, rather than keep a job. While successfully obtaining a job is clearly the first step for a person seeking employment in the open workplace, it is only the first step.

Review of the Employer Incentives Strategy: Department of Family and Community Services Improving Employment Opportunities for People with a Disability, Report of the Review of the Employer Incentives Strategy , March 2003

Sydney , 31 March 2005 Melbourne , 7 April 2005 See also separate notes from employer forum, Brisbane 22 April and Sydney employer forum, 7 July 2005; see also NEEOPA forum, 10 October

This is the Interim Report of the National Inquiry into Employment and Disability. The Inquiry was announced on 4 March 2005 and is due to issue its final report by the end of 2005.

Australians with disability are much less likely to be employed than people without disability. They have a comparatively lower labour force participation rate (53.2% compared to 80.1%) and a higher unemployment rate (8.6% compared to 5%) than those without a disability.

Human Rights Commissioner and Acting Disability Discrimination Commissioner Dr Sev Ozdowski OAM is considering recommending to the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission a possible public inquiry on issues affecting equal employment opportunity for people with a disability in Australia.

They discussed some of the problems and strategies associated with recruitment and retention of people with disabilities. They also provided feedback on some of the Inquiry's draft recommendations.

The following responses have been received to the request for comments issued in August 2004 on a possible public inquiry on issues affecting equal employment opportunity and outcomes for people with disabilities in Australia:

My name is Timothy Hart the Disability Coordination Officer for Northern, Central and Southern Sydney, the Disability Coordination Officer (DCO) Programme seeks to assist people with a disability move between school, vocational education and training and higher education, to succeed in their chosen studies and move to suitable employment by providing information, co-ordination and referral…