In the wake of the government response to the recommendations made by the Disability Royal Commission, advocates, and those living with a disability, are hopeful the momentum for change will not let up. In Canberra, they say more could still be done to help people living with a disability access meaningful, inclusive employment.
Category
📺
TVTranscript
00:00It's a morning on the phones for 24-year-old Charlotte Bailey.
00:06Hello ACT Down Syndrome, this is Charlotte Bailey speaking.
00:10I obviously work here at DSID.
00:14I do emails, birthday cards, I type documents, type speeches,
00:22and I'm also the ACT Employment Ambassador.
00:25Ms Bailey says she will not let Down Syndrome stop her from working,
00:29currently as a receptionist and at a local club.
00:33But there are things employers can do to make it inclusive.
00:36People can help me if I get stuck and I just want to be paid like everybody else.
00:45The Commonwealth has responsibility for employment,
00:48particularly disability enterprises where people can be paid below minimum wage.
00:53But advocates say the ACT could have gone further than leaving reform of those
00:57subject to further consideration.
01:00Of the 108 recommendations the Territory signalled acceptance of,
01:04it did agree to do more on inclusive employment quotas in the ACT public service.
01:10If there was money for community sector organisations such as ours
01:14to work with employers to help build capacity employers,
01:18to employ people with intellectual disability,
01:20to help carve jobs for people with intellectual disability.
01:23Particularly the ACT public sector is only one part of the employment picture in this town.
01:28We would want to see more effort given to encouraging private employers to step up.
01:34Not the time for governments to turn their back.