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Home | Disability discrimination and disadvantage

Disability discrimination and disadvantage

Disability is an innate part of human diversity. Approximately one in five Australians live with disability. People with disability contribute diverse skills and perspectives to our relationships, workplaces, and communities.

It is unlawful to discriminate against a person because of their disability in many areas of public life, including employment, education, accessing services, renting or buying a property, and accessing public places. Every year there are more complaints about disability discrimination to the Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) than any other form of discrimination.[1]

The discrimination and exclusion of people with disability is not a result of a person’s impairment, but a result of attitudinal, communication, physical, and social barriers they face. We must reshape society to meaningfully include people with disability.

The Disability Royal Commission shone a light on the widespread violence, abuse, neglect, and exploitation of people with disability in Australia. It made 222 recommendations to improve the independence, inclusion and rights of people with disability. The goal is for communities to be safe and diverse, where people with disability have the power of choice and independence.

When people with disability fully participate and are empowered to achieve their full potential — socially, politically, and economically — our whole society benefits.

55% have experienced violence since 15yrs old

People with disability experience higher rates of violence, abuse and neglect than people without disability. More than half of people with disability (55 per cent) have experienced physical or sexual violence since the age of 15, compared with 38 per cent of those without disability.[2]

People with disability are more likely to leave school at younger ages and to have a lower level of educational attainment. 45.3 per cent of people with disability have completed Year 12, an increase from 33.4 per cent in 2018,[3] but still lower than the general population who have completed a Year 12 qualification or higher (66.7 per cent).[4]

60.5% aged 15-64 years with disability are employed vs 84.9% without disability

60.5 per cent of people aged 15-64 years with disability are employed, up from 53.4 per cent in 2018. This is still significantly lower than those without disability (84.9 per cent).[5]

We have the power to make a difference

We can urge action from our governments

All governments will need to work together to eliminate violence, abuse, neglect, and exploitation of people with disability by implementing meaningful change through disability-led, co-designed solutions in response to the Disability Royal Commission’s final report.

Fundamental to empowering people with disability to achieve their potential is ensuring they have the support they need. This involves both ensuring that the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is adequately funded and fit for purpose (including by implementing the recommendations of the NDIS Review) but also that mainstream services such as housing, health, education, and transport are inclusive and accessible for people with disability.

We can implement change in our community and our workplaces

Community spaces and activities should be inclusive and accessible. When we are planning an event or activity we can make sure to address any physical, communication, or social barriers that may prevent a person with disability being able to participate. In our communities and workplaces, it is critical we ensure that all communications and messaging are disability-inclusive.

In our workplaces, there is an access and inclusion health check that businesses can undertake to understand how inclusive and accessible a workplace is, and identify areas for improvement.[6] We can do a health check and implement changes.

We can ensure that recruitment practices (for employees, members and leaders) are inclusive and accessible so they attract, encourage, and support applications from people with disability. People with disability bring diverse ways of thinking, skills, and talents, and improve workplace culture and productivity.[7]

We can have influence in our personal lives

In our own lives and social groups, we can make sure we are not inadvertently excluding people with disability. With one in five Australians identifying as having a disability, we need to not be shy about making connections.

Given the prevalence of discrimination, we can also model behaviour that is respectful and considerate, and challenge people around us if they express negative and harmful beliefs and attitudes about people with disability.

  1. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. (2024). People with disability in Australia. [Link] ↩︎

  2. Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability. (2023). Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability: Final Report. Volume 3, Nature and Extent of Violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation. [Link] ↩︎

  3. Australian Bureau of Statistics (2024). Disability, Ageing and Carers, Australia: Summary of Findings. [Link] ↩︎

  4. Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). 2021 Australia, Census All persons QuickStats. [Link] ↩︎

  5. Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2024). Disability, Ageing and Carers, Australia: Summary of Findings. [Link] ↩︎

  6. Australian Human Rights Commission. (2024). Disability Access and Inclusion Health Check. Australian Human Rights Commission. [Link] ↩︎

  7. Australian Human Rights Commission. (2024). Economic and Business Benefits of Employing People with Disability. Australian Human Rights Commission. [Link] economic-business-benefits-employing-people-with-disability ↩︎

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