Disability Employment Australia
2024 Conference

Presentations

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IncludeAbility – Ensuring equality in employment

The Disability Royal Commission and the NDIS Review have made clear that ‘Business As Usual’ is not fulfilling the fundamental right of people with disability to work on an equal basis to others.

This workshop focuses on the Australian Human Rights Commission’s ‘IncludeAbility’ project – a rights-based initiative aimed at creating and increasing meaningful employment opportunities for people with disability in Australia.

Key learnings from the IncludeAbility evaluation offer insights into how to build accessible and inclusive workplaces. The workshop will examine practical strategies for: embedding job customisation practices, working ‘shoulder to shoulder’ with employers to develop bespoke solutions, and meaningfully implementing human rights principles in the workplace.

It will draw on the example of IncludeAbility pilot program held in the NSW Illawarra region, in partnership with The Disability Trust and Kmart. This pilot offers key insights on how to use collaborative, cross-sector partnerships to remove barriers and introduce effective strategies and supports.

Presenters

Rhiannon-Walker

Rhiannon Walker

Senior Project Officer, IncludeAbility, Disability Rights Team, Human Rights Commission

Rhiannon Walker is a Senior Project Officer at the Australian Human Rights Commission, where she works on the IncludeAbility Project, a national initiative that aims to increase meaningful employment opportunities for people with disability. Rhiannon started her career as a disability support worker in accommodation, housing, and employment, before moving into community development and social research for local government.

Rhiannon joined the Disability Rights team at the Australian Human Rights Commission in 2022 and has worked closely with some of Australia’s largest employers to create inclusive workplaces.

Rhiannon has lived experience of disability and is passionate about advancing human rights and social justice for people with disability.

Swinburbe

Professor Erin Wilson

Director, Centre for Social Impact (CSI), Swinburne University

Professor Erin Wilson is the Director of the Centre for Social Impact at Swinburne University of Technology. In this role, she leads a team of researchers and industry fellows building and translating the evidence base in relation to ‘what works’ to support the employment of people with disability including practice, policy and ecosystem design. The team has conducted more than fifteen research projects in this arena in the past two years, through which she has led commentary on relevant social policy and legislation. Professor Wilson has advised the government in areas such as outcomes measurement of social services and is the lead researcher of the team behind the internationally recognised Community Services Outcomes Tree.