Benefits of hiring people with disability

Disability is wide-ranging and comes in many forms. We acknowledge that the language around disability is evolving and there is active debate in the community and different preferences about ways to describe disability. We acknowledge the importance of having conversations with individuals about their preferred language and not making assumptions. It is critical to respect individual preferences.

Some people prefer to be referred to as a 'person with disability' and others prefer 'disabled person'. Others prefer the use of language such as 'diverse abilities' rather than disability. The language used on this website is not intended to indicate a particular preference and we do not intend to exclude anyone on the basis that their preference differs to the style used. We welcome feedback on the language of disability.

When you need to employ someone, the main priority is to have the right person for the job and that may be someone with disability. People with disability – just like all employees – bring a range of skills and abilities to the workplace, and will strengthen your business through a more diverse, inclusive and stable workforce.

People with disability have always participated in the workforce, and strategies such as JobAccess, the National Disability Insurance Scheme and the normalisation of flexible work arrangements have improved opportunities for people with disability to participate in work.

Video: Jess's valuable contribution

Nicole Jackson, Carers Queensland talks about the value of employing people with disability. Jess is a Local Area Coordinator with vision impairment. She helps clients navigate the NDIS process.

'Jess brings a whole range of skills, knowledge and experience to her role. And we're very fortunate that we get to capitalise on that, and we have Jess in that role of engaging directly with people to give them a really good customer service experience.'

– Nicole Jackson, Carers Queensland

  • [Description]

    Nicole is sitting at her office desk, working on her computer. Her NDIS name badge is stuck to a magnetic part of her desk. An on-screen graphic appears: 'Nicole, Carers Queensland'.

    [Nicole Jackson]

    I'm the team leader here at Carers Queensland, Partner in the Community, LAC Program for Toowoomba.

    [Description]

    Nicole is sitting in an interview-style set up, in an office boardroom.

    [Nicole Jackson]

    Jess is vision impaired. She can't see anything in her environment day to day. Jess is one of a team of five Local Area Coordinators that engages with the community across the whole region that we cover.

    [Description]

    There is a close up shot on the NDIS and Carers QLD Building signage. Jess walking on a sidewalk next to a road. The shot cuts to Jess walking through the office, using her cane to guide her. She sits down at a table to have a conversation with Nicole.

    [Nicole Jackson]

    So that might mean meeting with a person for the first time to help them understand what the NDIS is, how they might be able to navigate the access process and whether it's something that they want a level of support to do.

    [Description]

    Jess sitting in a board room with a co-worker, and some paperwork on the table. There is a closeup shot on the paperwork, which reach 'NDIS Access Request Form'. Jess and the co-worker laugh together.

    [Nicole Jackson]

    We value diverse skill sets. So because we work with people that have different communication styles, that have had different life experiences, it creates an environment where everyone is respected for who they are, and embraced for who they are as well, and celebrated.

    [Description]

    Nicole sits at her office desk typing on her computer. A plant in a jar of water sits on a small table next to a sign that reads 'Make Your Own Magic'.

    [Nicole Jackson]

    Disability is one of those really interesting spaces where the intersectionality applies to everybody. So you have people with a disability from diverse cultural backgrounds, from LGBTIQA+ backgrounds, from First Nations backgrounds who live in rural areas, who live in urban areas. So it goes across the whole gamut of our community. So it's really important for us as a workplace to represent that visually to people, and for people to feel a level of comfort, particularly cultural comfort in that space. If you really want to have the best possible workforce, don't cut yourself off from a huge section of it by having those preconceived notions of what people might cost your business, or difficulties that they might cause for your business. Look at what they will actually bring, to your business, to your area of work, and we need to encourage them to actually make contact with us in the first place. And if you're not trying to tap into that resource, you're actually doing yourself out of potentially amazing employees.

    [Description]

    Jess having lunch in the office break room with Nicole and another co-worker. The shot cuts back to Jess and Nicole sitting at a desk in the office, having an informal meeting.

    [Nicole Jackson]

    The solutions are actually quite simple, and Jess is a fantastic example of someone who has done extensive university study. Jess brings a whole range of skills, knowledge and experience to her role. And we're very fortunate that we get to capitalise on that, and we have Jess in that role of engaging directly with people to give them a really good customer service experience.

    [Description]

    A series of shots. There is a close up of Braille on a toilet sign, close ups of yellow and black tactile tape on the office carpet. The shot cuts back to Jess sitting at her office desk, earphones in, and typing on her laptop. Still wearing headphones, she is making a phone call using assistive touch on her phone. The shot cuts to her smiling and talking to another co-worker in a meeting room. A Queensland Government logo graphic appears, with text and URL underneath it. This reads: For more information visit qld.gov.au/qld-disability-plan.

Stronger workforce

Employing people with disability can provide many business benefits. Research shows workers with disability:

  • are highly productive and innovative
  • have lower absenteeism
  • have fewer work accidents
  • are likely to be job satisfied and stay longer with their employer.

Support from employer

In 2018, 88% of employed people aged 15–64 with a disability did not require additional support from their employer.

Time off work

In 2018, 82% of employed people aged 15–64 with disability said they do not need time off from work because of their disability.

Job satisfaction

In 2021, 62% of employed people aged 15–64 with disability were highly satisfied with their job, compared with 67% of those without disability.

Source: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare

Diverse perspectives

Having a diverse workforce provides your business with new ideas, insights, and potential improvements to existing products and services. It can break you out of old habits and ways of working, to bring greater efficiency and outcomes.

An inclusive workforce also helps to attract and retain new customers, and to gain better understanding of what your customers with disability may need. This may provide your business with a competitive edge.

Disability takes many different forms. Some people might have a physical or sensory disability. Others may have a mental health condition or be neurodivergent. Some will have a combination of conditions.

Some conditions, such as chronic pain, are also 'invisible', in that they are not obvious to others. Some workers may have a condition that impacts their abilities, but they don't identify as having a disability.

Regardless of the disability or condition, it’s important to focus on what people bring to the workplace and talk to people with disability about how to accommodate disability so they can succeed.

Some people with disability also identify as belonging to other social or cultural groups, such as LGBTIQ+, First Nations or migrants. The EmployableQ toolkit provides a non-prescriptive set of resources to guide and support organisations to build inclusive, welcoming, and safe workplaces for LGBTIQ+ people with disability.

By valuing the diverse identities and unique life experiences of your employees, you can create a stronger workforce to help your business thrive.

Video: Diversity is good for business

'Having that diverse set of experiences, the diverse way in which people work, has been so empowering to make us a better organisation and a better team.'

– Jaron Cohen, Partner Technology Manager, Microsoft Australia

Watch video with Auslan

Transcript of video

Wider pool of job applicants

People with disability have traditionally been underemployed in the Australian workforce; despite many having appropriate skills and willingness to work, they have been unable to secure a suitable role due to various barriers to employment.

In recent years, a national shortage of skilled workers has prompted employers to explore ways to recruit skilled workers from underrepresented groups to fill job vacancies. Employers are becoming more inclusive in the way they design jobs within their organisation, and more creative in how they find staff and match them to an ideal position – including establishing a talent pipeline by partnering with training organisations. This has opened up a much broader pool of potential job applicants from groups who may have been previously excluded from employment.

Find out more about disability-inclusive recruitment practices.

Specialised skills and knowledge

A worker with disability can bring additional capabilities that give them an advantage over other workers. For example, a person with a physical disability can use their lived experience to provide better service to, or design better solutions for, customers with a similar condition. A person with autism may have especially good focus and attention to detail, allowing them to catch errors and complete tasks thoroughly and accurately.

Some companies have specifically sought neurodivergent employees due to the advantages this can bring their business. For example, Australian Spatial Analytics has an 80% neurodivergent workforce:

People with autism will lead the big data disruption in the Australian economy over the next 50 years. They’re up to 40% faster at tasks requiring visual problem-solving and pattern detection skills and 92% more accurate.

Video: Michael's story

Michael is employed as an admin assistant through the EmployABLE program from Autism Queensland, which matches employers with suitable workers. Michael has brought enormous value and financial benefits to his role.

'Michael directly reduces the number of errors that we might make and we catch them before they're actually turned into physical errors.'

– Nick Berlyn, Lysaght

  • [Michael Herbert]

    My name is Michael Herbert and my position is an admin assistant. I'm sort of there to help out with checking of orders, sort of help out with scanning, just generally being as much help as I can around the office; that's my general role.

    [Nina Cash]

    Michael joined the EmployABLE program about two years ago, which is a bespoke program for adults on the spectrum looking for work.

    What we did was really get to know Michael and understand some of his key skills and strengths, and work out an area where he feels that he would be comfortable working.

    Autism Queensland are a peak body. We happily support many employers on that journey to become more inclusive and build their capacity of hiring somebody on the autism spectrum.

    [Nick Berlyn]

    So it's an interesting story. Our regional manager was comparing notes with a another business manager in our organisation who happened to have an autistic niece. So they had a discussion and he said his niece had a kind of a panache for attention to detail.

    Michael directly reduces the number of errors that we might make and we catch them before they're actually turned into physical errors.

    [Michael Herbert]

    It's just a job that really suits my headspace, like because I'm very analytical of how I like to do things and this job is very step-by-step without much variation, which is very good.

    [Nick Berlyn]

    When you're engrossed in processing an order, we actually always have a second check by someone else, sometimes three if it's a really high-value order, and that's something that Michael has actually become quite stellar, actually, at doing.

    [Nina Cash]

    One of the things I love the most is just seeing the growth of our participants. Michael especially has grown in confidence his self-awareness, self-assurance and self-resilience have all increased tenfold. It makes us incredibly proud.

    [Michael Herbert]

    They've really known how I think and how I work, which is very good, and that's quite important for someone with autism because it makes communication also much easier. I've also been trained very thoroughly with how I work and how I think.

    [Nick Berlyn]

    People are our absolutely are our strength, and diversity and inclusion, we have our entire policy on that. Michael can demonstrate that we have a competitive advantage from employing people with different capabilities resources backgrounds. It works, it works well.

    [Nina Cash]

    These individuals have got a huge amount to offer and a huge skill set for employers that are interested in hiring somebody that a neurodivergent. The best way to get started is do your research, find that, think about what roles would might be suited or what roles you have vacancies for, and then reach out to an organisation such as Autism Queensland. We are a peak body and we've got knowledge and support available to you.

Also consider...