The blueprint represents a watershed moment as disabled people demand economic justice ahead of the federal election.
Australia’s disability representative organisations have unified to come up with solutions to relieve cost-of-living pressures on people with disability, representing 1 in 5 voters, who have so far been ignored in the federal election campaign.
“Cost of living is hitting people with disability particularly hard, and yet it has not featured in the campaign, so we have come up with our own solutions that are ready to be actioned on day one of the new government,” said El Gibbs, CEO of Disability Advocacy Network Australia. “Disabled Australians face unique cost-of-living pressures. Our new National Blueprint for Economic Justice has been developed by and with people with disability and highlights income support, employment and housing as the key areas where disabled Australians are facing the biggest challenges.”
Jenny Karavolos, Co-chair of the Australian Autism Alliance, said everyone deserves enough money to live with dignity and participate in society. However, income support systems nowadays trap people with disability in poverty and punish them for trying to work.
“By redesigning the Disability Support Pension to reflect the real costs of disability and removing barriers to work, the next government can ensure all disabled people have the economic security needed to thrive,” Karavolos noted.
The blueprint emphasises that economic barriers are the outcome of how systems have been designed to exclude disabled people, not the inevitable consequences of disability.
“We are calling for the next government to implement the Disability Royal Commission recommendation to phase out sub-minimum wages and to set a 15% disability employment target for the public sector,” said Darryl Steff, CEO of Down Syndrome Australia. “This will mean people with disability will finally have the chance to contribute their skills and build economic security.”
The National Blueprint for Economic Justice presents three critical areas that the next government needs to take action on:
- Income support for real disability costs and independence
- Employment systems to ensure equal pay for equal work and create genuine opportunities
- Housing options that provide the foundation for economic security and community participation
“All Australians deserve a safe, affordable, accessible place to call home that connects us to our communities,” said Jeremy Muir, CEO of Physical Disability Australia. “But housing developers, landlords and policymakers have created a market where accessible housing is scarce and unaffordable, forcing many disabled people to live with family members or in institutions against our wishes.”
For Muir, the next government can change this situation by enforcing accessibility standards nationwide and creating financial incentives for accessible housing development, giving disabled people the foundation they need for economic security. With the blueprint in place, people with disability can bring valuable perspectives and innovative problem-solving skills to workplaces and communities when barriers to participation are removed.
“First Nations people with disability know exactly what we need for economic security, but decision-makers have designed systems that exclude us and ignore our expertise,” said Tennille Lamb, Director of Strategy, Policy and International at First Peoples Disability Network. “Governments make choices about what to prioritise. Creating economic justice for people with disability is a choice the next government can and must make to fulfil our rights and strengthen our entire society.”
Meanwhile, Catherine McAlpine, CEO of Inclusion Australia, emphasised that disabled people must lead the redesign of economic systems.
“The disability community has enormous expertise in making economic systems fairer and getting them to work for everyone. This needs to include people with an intellectual disability, who bring unique perspectives to the workplace,” McAlpine said.
Finally, Trinity Ford, President of People with Disability Australia, said disabled people want what everyone else wants – housing that meets their needs, a fair job and enough money to live in safety and dignity.
“Right now, too many of us are locked out from these basics,” Ford said. “Our blueprint shows what needs to change. We need the next government to act.”
Read also: Disability Strategy updated: A unified approach to inclusion
Geraldine is currently the Content Producer for Third Sector, an Akolade channel. Throughout her career, she has written for various industries and international audiences. Her love for writing extends beyond the corporate world, as she also works as a volunteer writer at her local church. Aside from writing, she is also fond of joining fun runs and watching musicals.
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