ࡱ> ceb{` #YbjbjFF .l,,#QNNNNb4. $!h#DUUUU*U PCN^0. $$$ A|d!4}. UUUU$*$* Human Rights & Equal Opportunity Commission call for expressions of interest into a public inquiry into equal employment opportunity for people with disability in Australia. RVIB is a large disability support organisation providing services to people who are blind or vision impaired. RVIB has recently formed a new organization through the merger of the Royal Blind Society, Vision Australia Foundation and RVIB, however the opinions put forward here are those of the Employment Service of the RVIB business centre only. RVIB support a public inquiry on issues affecting equal employment opportunity for people with a disability in Australia and believe that this public inquiry will assist in identifying ways for people with a disability to better access employment. There is established policy and legislation for employment for people with disability but if all that occurs is an increase in documents of compliance and rhetoric rather than the provision of suitable and adequate resources then the result will be of little value. People with a disability in Australia in the 21st century should expect an equable opportunity for employment as their non-disabled peers. There is considerable evidence that this in not occurring and employment assistance provided is not equable. The current employment support and placement services for people with a disability while providing a valuable services are restricted in the number of people they can assist, the funding provided to assist jobseekers, lack of opportunity to provide a comprehensive program of rehabilitation, training & workplace support and the lack of capital funding to support staff and jobseekers. There is little support for individuals who choose to seek employment independent of the disability employment sector. Disability unemployment in Australia is in a state of public and political confusion, we have seen the comparisons between disability unemployment and the general population, we know that if we employ more people with disability there is a positive economic benefit to the Australian people, we know that jobseekers with disability are good employees and we know there are shortages of workers in Australian industry & business. So why does the high level of unemployment continue for people with disability? There has been little if any effort to promote people with disabilities to the Australian population. There has always been an expectation that the funding provided by FaCS would provide all the requirements of job placement for a person with a disability but most disability employment services operate on a shoestring with little if any funds left over for promotion, marketing or workplace support. State and Federal governments have little knowledge of each others programs and when there is a need for cooperation between State and Federal government the outcome is usually poor. Federal government have a responsibility for employment programs for people with disability but most other supports the person may require is generally provided through State government. These governments have never worked effectively together when dealing with disability employment and there is a continuing negative impact on the person with a disability. Disability benefits were designed on an all-or-nothing basis either someone is able to work full-time or not at all. This does not reflect how many people experience their disabilities. For someone with a fluctuating condition, or who is uncertain of the impact of work on their health, the risk of potentially losing benefits by returning to work may be too great. (City of Cambridge, 2004) Many people with disabilities have additional costs due to their support needs. Additional income supplements while participating in the labour market would ensure that earnings were not spent on the increased daily disability related living costs which could create a disincentive to remain in the labour market. (NDAC, 2003) Many people with a disability may see the move to open employment as a risk to their current and stable income (welfare payments and benefits) and would be reluctant to move into open employment unless it was a stable and long-term employment. The costs of being employed, such as have appropriate clothing, tools, training and transport may be a disincentive to some people with a disability. Some people with episodic conditions may feel they are risking the security of the welfare system if employment is not sympathetic to their needs. All the incentives provided to the disabled job seeker will not be effective in encouraging people to work more if employers and the workplace place barriers to participation. (NDAC,2003) Any reform must also be a move away from a hand out mentality and have a central goal of facilitating the participation of all people in their community either socially or economically, to the extent of their ability. (NDAC, 2003) Cash incentives to accept a person with disabilities into a job send the wrong message to employers. When we offer funds to the employer to simply take on a person with a disability we are clearly indicating that the person with a disability is not equal to his/her peers. An alterative use for this funding may be to provide training and support so the person is equal to any other worker and can become and maintain independence in the workplace. Incentives to train staff, including the person with a disability may assist in integrating people with disability into the workplace as equal valued employees. A large number of people with disability are reliant on public transport to be able to move about the community. If public transport is not available or accessible the person is disadvantaged in gaining employment. Often the person with a disability is confined to seeking employment that is dependent on access to public transport. Taxis can provide some people with a way of travel but this is dependent on the cost and the distance. Those that can drive may be dependent on long term parking availability that is affordable and close to their place of work. Mobility allowance has provided an excellent opportunity for people with a disability to access employment and training however this is often challenged as being only for people who cannot travel independently. Many people with a disability require assistance to learn how to travel safely from their residence to work or training. This can take the form of travel training, mobility, orientation and access training. Without this training a person would find it difficult or impossible to access training or employment. A guide dog is often an essential requirement for a person who is blind or vision impaired to gain or retain employment; currently a person who needs to have time to train to use a guide dog must do this in his or her own time at their own expense. This is essential training to remain independent in the workforce. Other types of independence training can also be essential to access employment & training, for example a person who unable to recall short term memory (frequently associated with Acquired Brain Injury) may need repetitive training to access public transport to a job or training, they would need to repeat this training each time they changed jobs or training location. Employers may feel less likely to employ a person with a disability if they are required to alter their environment to suit the person. In some cases this may require providing incentives to provide an environment suitable for a worker with a disability. In most modern buildings the work has already been done to accommodate a person with a disability but in older buildings the barriers may be considerable. Buildings with stairs and no lifts, old lifts with doors that are too narrow, corridors that are narrow, steps, no disabled toilet facilities, suitable lighting etc. Businesses, particularly smaller businesses may have difficulty complying with these standards, therefore it is easier not to employ a person with a disability even if there is a community and philosophical commitment by the business. The federal government may provide funding for workplace modifications & this has be a great benefit to people who have a disability entering or re-entering employment. Employers greatly appreciate these modifications and the advice that frequently accompanies these modifications. However the time between applying for and receiving funding can be many weeks with no interim assistance. There is no funding or resources available for workplace modifications for work experience, work trials or student placements therefore many people who have disabilities do not have the same opportunities as others in the community to experience work prior to placement. While demand is high for disability employment services there is also the demand by FaCS for services to provide employment outcomes, often leading to higher support job seekers facing the services decision not to assist a person if their funding does not meet a persons level of needs. (HICOA, 2002) In some circumstances the valid recipe of payment at a State level is dependent upon receipt of a Federal disability payment type. If changes in one system occur the consequence of this upon a person with disability at other levels must be considered. If changes at one level create an inequity and disadvantage at other levels this will affect a persons ability to be equal participants in all aspects of life. (NDAC, 2003) Personal support is generally the responsibility of the State government for most aspects of need, however when a person is seeking employment the State will emphasis that employment is a Federal responsibility. The Federal government will then state that any support that is required must come out of the funding provided (now under Case Based Funding, CBF) This funding as stated earlier is barely adequate to provide a service to the individual with a disability. Although there is a sliding scale of funding dependent on needs, the person with the highest support needs, takes the longest time to attain employment and has the lower skill levels is the most likely to be excluded from employment. Interpreting services are difficult to access and are provided at a prohibitively high cost to the employment service, agency or individual, this is particularly difficult if the person requires an Auslan interpreter or similar. Flexibility in employment for people with disability is reasonably available in Australia, however part-time and casual arrangements may not adequately cover the loss of welfare payments unless these arrangements were permanent and well paid. Some people need to be adequately counseled and provided with financial advice and guidance during this transition. The Australian Law Reform Commission (1996) identified a number of issues relating to employment for people with disabilities and how lack of knowledge, understanding and education within the community and business sector is a contributing factor in the exclusion of people with disabilities to employment. Generally the information provided to employers or potential employers is provided by disability employment services (out of their allocated funds) and this is not uniform or inclusive, it is dependent on the service and the person promoting the service. Information such as costs, adjustments required, OH&S and transition planning is largely the role of the employment services. The level of promotion by the Federal government of people with disability as capable, skilled and dedicated employees is low or non-existent outside of policy or legislature. The attitude of the employer must be influenced to generate genuine supportive employer communities that do not require financial incentives or professional compassion to employ a person with a disability. They should feel confident that the person with a disability can do the job. Key areas that need to be addressed are improvement in the education and training of persons with disabilities, more outreach on the part of the employment community to recruit persons with disabilities, a better understanding of reasonable accommodation and a concerted effort to break through the attitudinal barrier that is so detrimental to full integration of people with disabilities into the employment arena. (Bruyere, 2000) Training is essential for many people with disability to access employment, this is not always in the form of direct industrial or vocational skills training, sometimes there is a need to train people of all ages to understand the world of work. This may include developing skills in personal planning, grooming, work ethics, accessing support within a workplace etc. In other cases there is a need to provide specific training. Because education is the responsibility of the State and employment is the responsibility of the Federal government there is often little in the way of cooperation between the two. Employment services saw themselves as effectively being financially disadvantaged from providing services to people with complex needs. (HICOA, 2002) Disability employment services & schools work hard to provide work trials & work experience for people with disability. Once again it is up to these support structures to promote and recruit suitable employers. Some people with disabilities need support within the workplace and are limited in their opportunities to experience work or work trials in the same way as others. The need for equipment, adaptation, access and support may exclude some people with disability experiencing the workplace. This is a distinct disadvantage for those individuals who are most disadvantaged in employment. Society is such that often our sense of worth is directly related to our occupation. Nothing can destroy self esteem faster than having your opportunity to make a living taken away (Brady,2000) People who acquire a disability have distinctly different needs to those who have lived their lives with a disability. Often the disabling condition is accompanied by other issues including, trauma, depression, lack of motivation, a need for re-training, vocational re-direction and separation from social & employment support. The Commonwealth Rehabilitation Service provides a range of services to assist people to overcome these barriers but often these services are not conducted in a coordinated way and CRS has little connection in the disability employment sector. The links between rehabilitation and disability employment services must be developed. Early exposure to the workplace can improve the employment outcomes for persons with disabilities by enabling youth to develop employment skills and identify career direction. (Benz, Yovanoff & Doren, 1997) RVIB submitted a proposal to the Department of Education & Training to provide disability specific careers counselors to the education and transition process in secondary education but was not supported. There appears to be a thought within government that all people with disability have the same needs and can be directed in the same way. People who are blind or vision impaired obviously need different direction and support than a person who has a profound physical disability. There is a need to treat people as individuals with distinct individual needs and aspirations. There should be no barrier to promotion (in a job) because a person has a disability, if this does occur in the workplace this needs to be identified and strategies developed to prevent this, particularly if it is identified as a regular occurrence. Once again the ability of people with disabilities needs to be promoted to overcome any negatives generated within the community. Career development for many people with disability must be seen as secondary to simply getting into employment. If a person is able to achieve this goal a career path could provide links to greater employment options. In response to the new disability funding initiative for the Job Network (Federal Government 2003-4 budget): the comments ranged from doubt & scepticism, to fear at having no income safeguards, to disappointment & anger, and most felt that the money could be far better spent, on employer education, more real funds for support in the workplace and general life skills training for people with a disability (Lowe, 2004) There is little practical research available that provides an insight into the current state of disability employment in Australia. What works, what are barriers, what are facilitators to employment, how to achieve a greater outcomes and what is required to achieve these outcomes. It would be of some benefit if there were an independent (of Government) research project that could show all of the aspects of disability employment in Australia and provide some real direction that may see a change in how services are provided and how long term outcomes are established for people with disabilities seeking employment. The supported wage system does not seem to have an impact in assisting the broad integration of people with disabilities into employment. Whether this is due to the complexity of applying this system or the practicality of the introduction of productivity-based employment is unclear. Supported employment could have a very positive impact on introducing people with disability to work related activities, particularly if the work was combined with specific training that would assist the person develop skills that were transferable to open employment. This would require supported employment services to accept this training role. Historically supported employment services provide support for people with disability who have high support needs and have been assessed as not having the long-term capacity for working in open employment. The need would be to change the image of supported employment to one that would be acceptable to enter supported employment as a short term training arrangement. In conclusion, the disability employment sector and how it relates to people with disabilities and the greater community in Australia is filled with uncertainty and lack of clear direction. The attitude of one-model fits all needs undermines both the State and Federal Standards, which place great emphasis on personal choice. The National Disability Advisory Council submission Building a simpler system to help jobless families and individuals quoted in this submission presents a very balanced and realistic view of the needs of people with disability who are jobless. The Human Rights & Equal Opportunity Commission must be supported in conducting an inquiry that investigates the equity of opportunity for people with disability in employment in Australia. Paper prepared September 2004 by: Chris Reed MHs - Disability Studies, Grad.Dip.Hs Disability Studies, Dip. Frontline Management, Dip.Teaching, Cert.IV Training & Assessment Training Technology & Employment Services RBS.RVIB.VAF.Ltd Trading as Royal Victorian Institute for the Blind (RVIB) 201 High Street Prahran 3181 Victoria Website: www.rvib.org.au Email: chris.reed@rvib.org.au Phone: +613 9520 5555 Fax: +613 9521 3685 References: Australian Law Reform Commission, (1996), Making Rights Count services for people with disabilities, Commonwealth of Australia: Author Benz, R.B, Yavanoff,P., & Doren,B (1997). School-to-work components that predict post-school success for students with or without disabilities. Exceptional 鱨վ, 63, 151-165. Brady, (cited in Rankin, 2000) The consumer Perspective on Existing Models of Rehabilitation for Trumatic Brain Injury, retrieved, 01/09/2004 from  HYPERLINK "http://www.nichd.nih.gov/publications/pubs/traumatic/appendix_A.htm" www.nichd.nih.gov/publications/pubs/traumatic/appendix_A.htm Bruyere, Susanne M. (March 2000), "Disability Employment Policies and Practices in Private and Federal Sector Organizations," Cornell University, Program on Employment and Disability, School of Industrial and Labor Relations, Extension Division City of Cambridge, retrieved, September 2004, from, http://www.cambridgema.gov/~DHSP/ccpd/loop/barriers.html Head Injury Council of Australia (2002) Acquired Brain Injury Employment Study (draft), Canberra, Department of Family & Community Services (unpublished) Louise Lowe, (2004) New Employment Pilot Scheme for People with Disability - Something to be Excited 鱨վ, QDN member, Dalby. 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