Presentations

In this session participants will hear about ‘what works’ to support sustainable employment for people with disability. The session will provide a brief overview of the Australian and international evidence about supporting sustainable job development. Three presenters will provide practical examples of strategies that support the development of sustainable employment for people with disability.

Evidence overview
Dr Jo Ingold

Synopsis to come

The ‘Good Job’ Creation Matrix
Dr Elaine Nash

The employment of people with intellectual disability (and other disabilities) in meaningful roles that are also well-renumerated and provide for career pathways is an issue that has gained traction over the past few years. We have more information about the benefits such employment can bring to organisations, and employers are becoming more interested in these benefits and in how to employ people to gain them successfully.
We also know that the benefits to organisations are not only in what people with disability can bring, in terms of their specific skills and abilities, but also in how the organisation can make productivity gains by utilising all of its employees more effectively, enabling workers to engage in their core roles whilst also creating entry-level positions for those people with disability who are starting on the employment ladder.

We also know that creating jobs is not easy and tends to be done one job at a time for one person with disability. This approach can be expensive and time-consuming, whilst also not necessarily achieving the significant outcomes needed to make a difference in the number of people with disability who are seeking work.

Given the number of people with disability who are seeking meaningful employment in inclusive settings and the diversity in their individual needs, it makes sense to use a demand-led approach, that is, from the employers’ side. In terms of employees with intellectual disability, we know that recent Disability Royal Commission recommendations mean that the nature of the employment of people with intellectual disability needs to change and evolve into more inclusive places. All of this tells us that we need to create more jobs suitable for people with disability that also enable a career pathway and progression within organisations.

One such approach is for employers to use the ‘Good Job’ Creation Matrix. This Matrix allows employers to rethink, redefine and redesign their approach to the diverse roles within their organisation to achieve their business goals and objectives. It does require a willingness to dive deep into the organisation’s operations and redesign its business; however, the rewards can be substantial. Also, multiple positions within an organisation for people with disability can be created, workflows improved, career pathways mapped and the benefits of employing people with disability realised.

This matrix also asks that employers seek to create quality jobs. Job quality refers to the aspects of a job that directly impact worker well-being. Research shows that higher-quality jobs—often described
as ‘good jobs’ that provide ‘good work’—benefit both individuals and organisations by enhancing job satisfaction, performance, and productivity. These jobs also contribute to workers’ overall well-being, including their physical and mental health, and help foster more sustainable and competitive economies while improving social mobility. Significantly, enhancing job quality does not hinder job creation. Because of this, groups like the OECD are calling for the creation of more good jobs and the improvement of poor-quality jobs. The quality of jobs can be measured by six main factors (Ingold et al., 2025): pay and rewards, the nature of the work, terms of employment, health and safety, work-life balance, and employee representation.

The Good Job Creation Matrix is a demand-led, employer-driven process that uses a four-by-four matrix to sort organisational tasks derived from specific roles by their relative complexity and importance. The matrix not only creates entry-level positions but also maps career progression through the quadrants. When used alongside the six dimensions of creating good-quality jobs, the matrix may help organisations achieve greater efficiency and become employers of choice. It also ensures that the technicians in the organisation, generally located in the upper-right quadrant, are more effective in their roles, as most of their time is spent on their core work, which is often the organisation’s reason for being.

Designing Work That Works: Reducing Psychosocial Risk for Neurodivergent Staff
Shae Wissell – Director, re:think dyslexia

Neurodivergent employees are at significantly greater risk of psychosocial harm at work, not because of individual deficits, but due to poorly designed job demands, inflexible systems, and a lack of understanding of neurodivergent experiences within workplace environments. This presentation introduces leaders, managers, HR, and health and safety professionals to why these risks exist and how they can be reduced through evidence‑based, practical action.

Drawing on the research of Dr Shae Wissell, this session applies the Job Demands–Resources (JD‑R) model of burnout to neurodivergent employees to explain how excessive or unrecognised job demands such as cognitive overload, unclear expectations, sensory stressors, and inadequate support can increase burnout risk when not balanced by appropriate resources. The presentation translates this research into accessible insights for organisational decision‑makers, highlighting where common workplace practices unintentionally create psychosocial hazards for neurodivergent staff.

Importantly, the session moves beyond theory to focus on practical strategies to reduce psychosocial hazards in the workplace. Participants are introduced to realistic, scalable adjustments and system‑level changes that reduce risk while supporting performance, wellbeing, and retention. These strategies are grounded in lived experience, with presenters drawing on their own neurodivergent perspectives, alongside real‑world application through the work of re:think dyslexia, a neurodivergent‑led organisation driving workplace change across government, corporate, and community sectors.
By integrating research, lived experience, and practical implementation, this presentation equips leaders and HR professionals with the capability to identify psychosocial risks early, redesign work to better balance demands and resources, and embed neuroinclusive practices into everyday workplace systems.

Internships program in aged care 
June Alexander – Lecturer & Researcher, Flinders University

Synopsis to come