People with disabilities facing challenges amid national labour shortage

ABC NEWS (Australia)

People with disabilities say they still face significant barriers in trying to gain secure employment. Amid a national labour shortage crisis, advocates say now is the time for employers to diversify their workforce.

Transcript

00:00Nick Burling has worked in the automotive industry for three decades.

00:07Despite selling thousands of cars during his career, the 51-year-old can't drive.

00:13I have what's called Category 4, Terrible 4. It means I can't stand, I don't have balance.

00:18Mr Burling runs his own car dealership on the Gold Coast, but getting here hasn't been a smooth ride.

00:25Here are the keys.

00:26He found it difficult to land a job after high school.

00:29Really the only options that were offered to me at the time were go and get a job at McDonald's.

00:34At a drive through McDonald's, you know, taking orders. And that wasn't me.

00:39In Australia, working aged people with disability are twice as likely to be unemployed as those without one.

00:46Advocates say workplaces are missing out.

00:49We know that organisations which employ people with disability work better.

00:55Those organisations are stronger, perform better, they're more profitable, they have less staff turnover.

00:59Businesses can benefit from this too.

01:02The unemployment rate for people with disability fell from 10.3% in 2018 to 7.5% in 2022.

01:12But people with disabilities still face barriers in finding and maintaining employment.

01:20People can achieve amazing things when they're given opportunities.

01:23Follow your dream, never give up on it because if you don't, you will probably achieve it.

01:28Yeah.

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