Articles
Feature Article
Australia signs the International Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
The last few months have been a bit of a roller coaster ride for disability organisations and now that the dust is settling and we can begin to distinguish the thrust of Australian Government policy in relation to people with disabilities, we can begin to take advantage of the opportunities offered and create some of our own.
According to The Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities and Children’s Services, Bill Shorten: “Impairment is a fact of life. We have different data sets to describe this. According to the ABS, 20 percent of Australians will record some form of impairment … the challenge is that whilst impairment is a fact of life, it’s the attitudes of the community which disable people.” (source: www.billshorten.fahcsia.gov.au) As most of us probably already know Australia signed the International Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities on the 30 March 2007, but did not ratify its agreement until the 18 July 2008. (Government tends to move slowly when it comes to decisions on important issues and this was actually considered a rush job.) The change in Australia’s Federal Government from Liberal to Labor and resulting Departmental restructures delayed this process further, yet, even so Australia was one of the first United Nations member countries to fully commit to the Convention.
The Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities and Children’s Services, Bill Shorten states that: “The Convention is part of the Government’s long term commitment to improving the lives of people with disability and their families. The Convention is aimed at removing barriers faced by people with disability and enhancing opportunities to participate in social and political decision making processes, recognises rights to education, health work, adequate living conditions, freedom of movement and equal recognition before the law … We are working on a national disability strategy and employment strategy around people with disability and mental illness … What does concern me though in the field of disability is some of the issues which have traditionally been put in the too hard basket.
The lack of data is appalling … (this is where ADDE plays an important role). If I turned up for an interview these days with many employers and I was blind or had one leg or I was deaf or I was in a wheelchair and found it hard to communicate, chances are the recruitment agencies wouldn’t consider me. Yet, somehow we have managed to rule out Leo Beethoven, Frank Roosevelt or Steve Hawkings. I wonder for those who make it through the system how many others do we miss and deny the richness of their contributions, much less the lives that they should have fulfilled ... We are serious about a National Disability Strategy with employment focus, focus around quality standards of working with the States, engaging with the private sector, serious about all those things. But, I think that this quote, though, sums up where I think we need to be on disability and changing the politics of disability and Dr King said: all people are caught in an inescapeable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny, whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly. I can never be what I ought to be, until you are what you ought to be, and you can never be what you ought to be, until I am what I ought to be. That is the challenge of this convention.” (source: www.billshorten.fahcsia.gov.au) Australia’s Human Rights Commissioner Graeme Innes noted that, “In Australia, we have made some great advances in disability law and policy, but there is much more to do …
We must strive to remove barriers to physical and information access, ensure equal opportunity – not just in theory, but in practice – in employment and education, as well as address the severe inadequacies in supports and services for many people with disability and their families.” (source: hreoc.gov.au)On the 20 August 2008, at a Seminar (held during the Beijing Olympics, so that it did not receive nearly as much press coverage as it deserved) presented in Brisbane by Queensland Advocacy Inc., Commissioner Graeme Innes went on to say that: “ most of the issues coming to the Commission in the education area involved a combination of attitudes, access to information on what to do, and a lack of sufficient resources …
Even within the law and justice area, I suspect that better realisation of human rights for people with disability will be more about programs, policies, and resources than legislative change … where what courts and others responsible appear to lack is not the power or the duty to make appropriate decisions but the lack of facilities in practice to give effect to what they know to be right …
Human rights is not only a job for human rights agencies, any more than disability rights are only a job for disability service providers.” In other words first we need a change in attitude within society regarding persons with disabilities, making everyone personally responsible for bringing about disability integration, so that an inclusive framework for the whole community can then be built. Commissioner Graeme Innes enumerated various innovative concepts in product development, emphasising that they should be not only green but also disability friendly. Commissioner Graeme Innes suggested the “adoption of an accessible procurement policy by the Commonwealth” and considers “Disability, and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities … (to be) about all of us and everything”.
This comprehensive responsibility should also include employment of persons with disabilities at the product design stage so that the knowledge embodied within someone - who as disabled potential user of the product, currently has to constantly road test finished goods or prototypes - can be utilised to prevent many problems while the design is still at the concept stage. This would save companies a lot of wasted money and effort expended on ineffective products. It should also provide jobs, for people with disabilities, which would more than pay for themselves. Participation by persons with disabilities in decision making processes affecting programs for, or of interest to, persons with disabilities is crucial and, without such involvement, these programs cannot succeed. The current government is to be commended for seeking submissions from disability organisations on current programs; it must now remember to consider employing disabled persons in any new projects it creates to replace those which have failed to provide the necessary benefits.
Contibuted to newsletter, edited by Kathy Leitch
Feature Article
There is a big difference between non-discrimination (equal opportunity), a minimalist approach and having a pro-active approach to a diverse work force. In order for someone with a disability or for someone from another disadvantaged group to prove discrimination there has to be blatant and obvious reasons for discrimination. This needs to be clearly the reason for a person not to get the job.. read mor
Recently, ADDE was involved in the judging of the Diversity@Work 2010 Employment and Inclusion Awards: People with a Disability. This award recognises excellence in initiatives or programs related to the employment and inclusion of people with a disability. Peter Rickards, ADDE president, was a judge on the panel and stated how happy he was to once again have the opportunity to judge the nominations.. read more
ILO (International Labor Organisation) Employment Working Paper No. 43
A summary: We hear a lot about the costs of inclusion of people with disabilities - pensions, subsidies, services, access etc - but hardly anything about the costs of exclusion. The following report estimates the costs of exclusion from the world of work as between 3-5% of GDP: http://sebastian.buckup.de/4.html
While this study looks at ten low to middle income countries, the percentage is probably higher for countries like Australia.. read more
Some people believe terminology is very important because it conveys an ideological message, creates a political norm, and contributes to a cultural shift. Others think it’s just words, holding little influence, and that it’s behaviour that effects change. I think both words and actions are important, in this context they show the relationship between policy, attitudes and behaviour. I use my personal experience to demonstrate the need to address policy makers’ attitudes to disability, and the need to reshape the public service into an equitable employer.. read more
- The health and saety conundrum read more
- Some personal remarks about disability By Roger Beale (AO) read more
Our mission is to increase employment opportunities for
people with disabilities and from diverse backgrounds
in Australia. For those of you who are not aware we were
officially formed on September 7, 2005 at Victorian Council
of Social Services (VCOSS).
ADDE promotes pro-active employment
policies and practices for disadvantaged groups including
people with disabilities, mature age workers, people from
culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds as well
as indigenous people. People who fall into more than one
of these categories are recognised as being even more
disadvantaged. Therefore, we see a greater need for a
change of attitude and awareness.