Employment of people with disability 
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Last updated: 30 August 2006
Employment of people with disability in the APS
Appendix 3
Overseas and interstate comparisons
International comparisons
In general, OECD comparisons of working-age disability policies and practices conclude that ‘no single country can be said to have a particularly successful policy for disabled people’.179
International data also suggests public sector employers have mixed success in employing people with disability. It is difficult to directly compare other countries and Australia as data collection methods (including the definition of disability) and the currency of that data, vary widely. Thus, the following discussion uses international data as indicative only.
- In New Zealand—in a better than average international public sector performance—10% of New Zealand public servants in 2000 reported having a disability.180 Initiatives adopted by the New Zealand public sector include a supported employment scheme (‘Main Stream’) to facilitate employment for people with significant disability.181
- In the United Kingdom (UK), people with disability represented 4.2% of the UK Civil Service in April 2004,182 compared with 3.6% in 1999.183 The UK Civil Service has a comprehensive 10 Point Plan for cultural change, including a target of 3.2% of people with disability in the Senior Civil Service by 2008. The rate is currently 2.9%. The plan focuses on building accountability for diversity through a Diversity Champions Network, comprising members at senior levels.184
- In Ireland, the civil service set a 3% employment target in 1977. The percentage of staff with disability rose from 1.5% in 1986 to 3% in 1993. More recent figures, however, show the overall percentage of staff with disability fell to 2.7% of the total number employed as at April 1999. Initiatives include a central committee to monitor progress towards the 3% target, and special selection exercises for people with disability.185
- In Canada, people with disability represented 5.7% of all Canadian public servants in 2000,186 up from 3.1% in 1996–97.187 Critical success factors in 2002–03 were accountability, cultural change, and the integration of employment equity into business practices and partnerships to exchange ideas, expertise, and successful practices.188
- In the United States’ executive branch of government, 7% of employees reported having a disability in 2003, down slightly from 7.3% in 1996.189 The employment of people with disability in the Federal Public Service is underpinned by legislation supporting affirmative action.190 Strategies include a one-stop shop for federal employees and managers, special placement coordinators to provide advice to senior managers, training in disability-related issues, and a range of publications.
Comparisons with State and Territory public services
While a direct comparison is hard to make, there are some differences in the performance between the APS and some State and Territory governments in employing people with disability (Table A3.1).
| State/Territory | % of workforce with disability |
|---|---|
| Queensland | 9.7191 |
| Tasmania | 7.0192 |
| Victoria | 6.3193 |
| New South Wales | 5.0194 |
| ACT | 4.0195 |
| APS | 3.8196 |
| South Australia | 2.6197 |
| Northern Territory | 1.8198 |
| WA | 1.7* 199 |
Note: A direct comparison is difficult as different definitions of ‘disability’ are used by the APS and the respective states and territories. the figures for some states and territories include local government employment figures while wa and sa statistics count only those people with disability who require reasonable adjustment in the workplace.
The state service with the highest performance, Queensland, promotes the employment of people with disability through its relationship with the National Disability Recruitment Coordinator to assist agencies to employ people with disability; awareness training for managers; the use of identified positions to increase the employment of people with disability; and traineeships for a range of long-term unemployed including people with disability.200
Other states have adopted many of the same strategies. Other common initiatives include the use of recruitment handbooks; one-stop shops on websites and whole of government strategies to increase the employment of people with disability.
- Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) 2003, Transforming Disability into Ability: Policies to Promote Work and Income Security for Disabled People, OECD, Paris, p. 11.
- New Zealand Government, Office for Disability Issues 2005, Work in Progress: The New Zealand Disability Strategy 2004–2005, Office for Disability Issues, p. 22 <http://www.odi.govt.nz> The website was viewed on 6 March 2006.
- <http://www.ssc.govt.nz/display/document.asp?navid=127>
- UK Government 2004, Civil Service Statistics <http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/management/statistics/reports/2004/diversity/index.asp#disability>
- UK Government 1999, Civil Service Statistics <http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/management/statistics/reports/index.asp>
- The UK Civil Service website on disability contains information on a range of initiatives including a bursary scheme and disability network <http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/diversity/disability/bursary/index.asp>
- P. Conroy and S. Fanagan 2001, Research Project on the Effective Recruitment of People with Disabilities into the Public Service, 2000 commissioned by the Equality Authority and the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Rahaleen Ltd, Dublin <http://www.equality.ie/index.asp?locID=105&docID=71>
- House of Commons Canada, Standing Committee of Human Resources, Skills Development, Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disability 2005, Accessibility for All <http://www.parl.gc.ca/infocomdoc/38/1/parlbus/commbus/house/HUMA/report/RP1923671/HUMA_Rpt08/HUMA_Rpt08-e.pdf>
- Canadian Government, Public Service Human Resource Agency 1997, Employment Equity in the Federal Public Service 1996–97, p. 37 <http://www.hrma-agrh.gc.ca/ee/ar-ra/ar-ra_e.asp>
- Public Service Human Resource Agency 2003, Employment Equity in the Federal Public Service 2002–03, p. 60 <http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/report/empequi/2003/ee00_e.asp>
- Office of Personnel Management 2004, Federal Civilian Statistics: The Fact Book 2004 Edition, United States Office of Personnel Management.
- Legislation and Executive Orders support the specific employment of people with disability <http://www.opm.gov/disability/appempl_5-01.asp>
- Queensland Government, Office of the Public Service Commissioner 2005, Annual Report 2004–2005, p. 53 <http://www.opsme.qld.gov.au/pubs/pub.htm#ar>
- Tasmanian State Government, State Service Commissioner 2005, Tasmanian State Service Employee Survey Report 2005, p. 13 <http:// www.ossc.tas.gov.au/reports.html>
- J. Graffam, K. Smith and L. Hardcastle 2005, Achieving Substantive Equality and Optimal Participation: Employees with a Disability in the Victorian Public Sector, p. 9 <http://www.ssa.vic.gov.au/Webfiles/Docs/OFADisabilityPaper.pdf>
- Interviews with the NSW Premier’s Department (January–February 2006).
- Interview and correspondence with the ACT Chief Minister’s Department (February 2006).
- Australian Public Service Commission 2005, State of the Service Report 2004–05, Commonwealth of Australia, Canberra, p. 213.
- South Australian State Government, Office of Public Employment 2005, SA Public Sector Workforce Information at June 2005 Summary Report, p. 11 <http://www.ope.sa.gov.au/default.asp?idL1=20&idL2=1640&idL3=78>
- Northern Territory State Government, Office of the Commissioner for Public Employment 2005, Quarterly Report on ‘Willing and Able’—A Strategy for Employment of People with Disabilities in the Northern Territory Public Sector (NTPS) <http://www.nt.gov.au/ocpe/equity/progress_reports/2005_sept.pdf> The website was viewed on 6 March 2006.
- Western Australian State Government, Director of Equal Opportunity in Public Employment 2005, Annual Report 2004–05, p. 51 <http://www.oeeo.wa.gov.au/publications/reports.htm>
- Consultation with the Queensland Government (December 2005).
