The Federation of Ethnic Communities’ Councils of Australia (FECCA) have released a petition to the Australian Senate to increase the rate of employment amongst Australians with disability, who are only half as likely to be employed as people without disability.
Australia currently ranks 21 out of 29 OECD countries in employment participation rates for people with disability, with around 45% of people with disability in Australia living either near or below the poverty line.
People with disability from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds are further disadvantaged and are about half as likely to be in employment or looking for a job compared to Australians from English speaking backgrounds with a disability.
Vision Australia and FECCA are working together to reduce the rate of unemployment rates amongst people with disability from culturally diverse backgrounds and people who are blind or have low vision. In 2012, it was estimated that 58% of people who are blind or have low vision are unemployed not by their own choice, which accounts for four times more likely to be unemployed compared to the general population.
The petition released by FECCA asks that the Senate leads the way in promoting better employment pathways for people with disability, as a part of recognising the benefits of a vibrant and diverse workforce and the importance of employment to the functioning of families.
The petition also calls upon Federal, State and Territory public services to double the participation rates of people with disability by 2017 to establish a good practice example for private sector and the community to follow.
Sign FECCA’s petition to increase employment rates among people with disability