Australian Employers Network on Disability

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Disability can result from accidents, illness or genetic disorders.  Some people may have more than one disability.  There are many different kinds of disability.  A disability may be visible or hidden, may be permanent or temporary and may have minimal or substantial impact on a person’s abilities.  A disability may affect mobility, ability to learn things, or ability to communicate easily.

The (C'wth) Disability Discrimination Act (1992) defines disability as:

· total or partial loss of the person’s bodily or mental functions
· total or partial loss of a part of the body
· the presence in the body of organisms causing disease or illness
· the malfunction, malformation or disfigurement of a part of the person’s body
· a disorder or malfunction that results in the person learning differently from a person without the disorder or malfunction
· a disorder, illness or disease that affects a person’s thought processes, perception of reality, emotions or judgement, or that results in disturbed behaviour;

and includes a disability that:
· presently exists
· previously existed but no longer exists
· may exist in the future
· is imputed to a person (meaning it is thought or implied that the person has disability but does not).

Disability is part of human diversity.  One in five Australians has one or more disabilities and this proportion is increasing with the ageing of the population.  The majority of people with disability have a physical disability (83.9%), 11.3% have mental illness or behavioural disorders, and 4.8% have an intellectual or learning disabilities.

Although some people are born with disability, many people who currently have a disability may have spent much of their lives without it.  For example, people who have acquired their disability through a workplace incident or car accident, and people who may have acquired a disability as they age. 

Who Are People with Disability?

People with disability are part of every section of our community: men, women, and children; employers and employees; students and teachers; indigenous and non-indigenous; customers; and citizens. 
The only thing that distinguishes a person with disability is that they may be unable to do certain things in the same way as most people in the mainstream of society without some form of adaptation, or alteration to assist them overcome the effects of their disability.  No two people with the same disability experience their disability in the same way.

Employment and People with Disability

More people with disability are unemployed than those without disability. 
However, of the people with disability who are employed, there is representation across many occupations.  Professionals, managers and administrators are the largest occupational grouping and this represents 37% of people with disability who are currently employed.  Clerical sales and service workers are the second largest grouping representing approximately 30% of people with disability who are currently employed.  The remaining occupational categories include tradespersons, production, and transport workers as well as labourers and related workers.(approximately 33%).

Related hyperlinks:
Human Rights & Equal Opportunity Commission
http://www.humanrights.gov.au/

Health InSite
http://www.healthinsite.gov.au

Australian Bureau of Statistics
http://www.abs.gov.au