People with disabilities are twice as likely to experience discrimination and harassment at work, according to new research, highlighting the critical role of capturing disability data to create safe workplace environments.
Drawing on previously unreleased insights from DCA’s 2023-2024 Inclusion@Work Index survey, the Disability Data at Work report sheds light on the workplace experiences of people with disability and outlines essential strategies for fostering inclusion.
Unfortunately, people with disability are more likely to experience exclusion at work, with 16 per cent saying they work in non-inclusive teams, compared to 10 per cent of employees without disability.
Social exclusion is also rampant, as a third (35 per cent) of people with disability report being left out of social gatherings at work as well as being ignored or treated as though they don’t exist.
It’s estimated that 21 per cent of the population (or 5.5 million people) are people with disability in Australia, with this report showing they’re an undervalued and often overlooked talent pool.
“The Disability Data at Work report underscores the urgent need for organisations to adopt inclusive practices that respect and empower all employees,” said DCA CEO Lisa Annese.
“Behind the troubling experiences faced by employees with disability are deeply rooted personal and systematic biases. Organisations bear a significant responsibility in dismantling these barriers to foster equitable employment opportunities, outcomes, and experiences for people with disability.”
Why is disability data so important?
Collecting disability data enables organisations to understand the mix of people in their workplace and experiences of employees with disability. This helps organisations make informed decisions about accessibility, monitor progress and drive change.
Despite this, 40 per cent of people with disability said their organisations were not collecting disability status data.
And for those organisations who were collecting disability data, close to a third (30 per cent) of workers chose not to share their disability status with their employer. The reasoning for this decision includes not feeling safe to do so.
A third of respondents (35 per cent) said they didn’t share their disability status out of fear they’d be seen less favourably by managers or overlooked for promotions or development opportunities.
One respondent said: “I don’t believe that I can [share]. I honestly think it has stopped my career progression as it is commonly said when I put myself up for promotion ‘oh we don’t want to stress you out or risk your health’.”
Over a third (39 per cent) said they were concerned about privacy and how the information would be used. And 33 per cent said they didn’t trust that sharing would result in a positive outcome.
“The safe and respectful collection of disability data is essential to increase the workforce participation rate of people with disability. We can’t fix what we don’t understand,” said Australian Disability Network Chief Executive Corene Strauss.
Underscoring the need for disability data even further are the recent findings from the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability, which Annesse said “highlight the need for comprehensive data on employment experiences” in order to address the “complex and pervasive challenges” found in the report.
“By enhancing our understanding of disability data collection and implementing leading practices outlined in the report, organisations can foster environments where every employee feels valued, respected, and fully supported.”