Anonymous

Disability Employment Support should be a government initiative that works with employers and participants directly, rather than having a DES provider. The lack of information and clear direction, as well as incentives to hire, stem from confusing and sometimes malfeasance of the DES, parking and churning applicants.

DES should be integrated with Carers bursaries and Disability Pensions, to track and reward their involvement in the workplace, either through portable entitlements, or payroll tax incentives for employers.

Often, people with a disability and their support network lose huge amounts of time to health care needs as a direct result of the disability. They require engaging with casual and part time positions, reducing their leave entitlements, superannuation contributions, ability to build wealth and alleviate some of the severe financial hardships that people without a disability can avoid or never come into contact with. I have been working in similar roles for almost 13 years, but due to my disability I have never been eligible for long service leave. It is unlikely that I and my small family will ever be able to buy a home.

The existing mechanisms for training through TAFEs and workplace apprenticeships are actually very accessible, and any strength based modelling for finding the right roles is a good move.

Study after study has shown that more time to find the right job, more money to be able to participate in finding a job (being clean, having nice clothes, mobile phones, internet access, transport) makes better outcomes. No DES changes that doesn’t take this into account will ever work.