Call For Papers

Submission Information

Presentations should relate to one or more of the following audience streams:

• CEO / senior management
• Change Management and Organisational Transformation for the new DES
• Capability development in the Disability Employment sector
• DES and NDIS operational/frontline/practitioner staff
• NDIS workforce
• University Academics
• Workforce Australia sector
• Disability advocacy and community stakeholders
• People with Disability
• Employer focus
• Disability employment policy
• Disability employment educational and research

Presentations should centre on (this list is not exclusive):

• Matters pertinent to the implementation of the New Specialist Disability Employment Program 2025-2030
• Service delivery and practice including employer engagement.
• Change Management and Organisational Transformation for services and staff delivering the New Specialist Disability Employment Program.
• Disability employment policy, innovation and best practice in open employment and/or issues pertinent to the current DES program and broader disability employment sector
• NDIS Employment Supports
• Sector staff development and skills including micro credentials
• Examples and practice of the emerging intersection between NDIS (participant employment supports and the updated Youth Employment Supports) as well as DES expertise and supported employment changes
• The Disability Employment Centre of Excellence
• Other mainstream employment service models for people with disability for example, Workforce Australia, Transition to Work and ParentsNext

Submissions should:

• Be constructed on evidence-based research, case studies and/or industry or organisational best practice
• Provide clear, actionable, and practical solutions, processes, or information, and not be purely limited to theoretical frameworks
• Showcase innovative or unique practices, knowledge, and methodologies
• Promote discussion and participant engagement, be interactive where possible and offer opportunities for professional development

Themes

• Our 2025 Conference is focused on the implementation of the New Specialist Disability Employment Program including changes to the program, and centred on evolving disability employment policy, design, models, and practice including employment for NDIS participants.
• DEA is looking at the core focus of quality services for participants and employers as well as achievement of employment goals and intersection with the Disability Employment Centre of Excellence.
• We are seeking your contributions and are now calling for papers to be presented at the 2025 DEA Conference. We have listed a range of core themes and invite papers on these.
• We are looking for evidence-based, best practice, results-driven presentations. This is your chance to showcase your initiatives that demonstrate improved employment outcomes for people with disability.
• The Conference program will include relevant debates, research, and innovative practices across the following areas:

We are looking for papers on the following subject areas but this is not an exclusive list:

• The Disability Employment Centre of Excellence – what does it mean for service providers and those who do not use Government services for support.
• Transitioning and new models of service delivery
• Sector development and training – how do we improve the skill base of our workforce?
• Engaging frontline staff: Training and Micro credentials for staff.
• Digitalisation of employment services and impacts on people with disability looking for work
• The future of employment via social enterprise and other programs – how do these fit together?
• Community attitudes and closing the workforce participation gap for people with disability
• Case studies of changing employer attitudes and practices.
• The DES Performance Framework – combination of the three KPIs and moving into 2025 and beyond and the Provider Score Card and what it means.
• Attracting volunteer participants – the untapped referral pool – where and how?
• Specialist cohorts – Indigenous, Ex prisoners, Mature Aged, CALD – Building their capacity
• Challenges of implementation of the NDIS Review including most recent changes
• The NDIS Participant Employment Strategy and Action Plan -improving employment outcomes
• Better use of the DES program for NDIS participants
• Evidence-based, innovative, capacity building and outcomes-focused supports that assist young people with disability find and keep a job

Submission and Selection Process

Important dates

• Opening date: Monday 16 December 2024
• Deadline for abstracts: Friday 7 March 2025 at 5pm AEDT
• Receipt of abstracts will be acknowledged via email
• You will be notified of acceptance by Friday 28 March 2025

Additional Information

All abstracts submitted to the Conference committee will be considered in relation to the requirements of the Conference program as well as the quality of the submission. The Conference committee’s decision is final.

If you have any queries, please contact Disability Employment Australia on 03 9012 6000 or events@disabilityemployment.org.au

Conference Speaker Registration

Speakers and co-speakers included in the Conference program will be able to attend the Conference at a reduced speaker’s rate. Disability Employment Australia is a not-for-profit organisation, and as such are not in the position to cover airfares or accommodation for speakers. Please indicate if your expression of interest is entirely conditional on having some or all of your costs met.

The discounted Registration rate for speakers is:

•     One Day Registration: $800
•     Full Conference Registration: $1,195

Who will Attend?

Anyone with an interest in employment assistance for people with disability including:

• Disability Employment Services
• jobactive
• People with disability
• Advocates
• Training organisations
• Policy makers
• Researchers
• Employers and their representatives
• Academics