Since coming to office, the Rudd Labor Government has taken early action to address the lack of support for disabled people.

As an important first step, the Prime Minister appointed Hon. Bill Shorten as the Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities and Children’s Services to have particular responsibility for policy in this important area.

In February Bill Shorten and the Minister for Employment Participation, Hon. Brendan O’Connor, released the terms of reference for the National Mental Health and Disability Employment Strategy.

By the closing date at the end of June, the Government had received more than 300 submissions into the strategy which aims to boost the number of people with a disability and/or mental illness in the workforce by outlining clear and practical steps the Government can put in place to overcome the barriers which make it harder for people with disability and mental illness to gain and keep work.

As well as receiving submissions, Mr O’Connor and Mr Shorten chaired public consultations in thirteen towns and cities across Australia, with more than 740 people attending.

Commenting on the submissions and the meetings, Mr O’Connor said: “There was a clear recognition of the enormous contribution people with a disability and/or mental illness make to a workforce and we need to dispel the myths that some employers have about difficulties or costs associated with employing a person with a disability.”

The Strategy is scheduled for release by the Government by the end of the year.

Accompanying the development of this employment strategy, the Government in its first Budget in May declared that it will develop a National Disability Strategy aimed at improving economic participation, social inclusion and wellbeing for people with a disability, their families and carers.

The National Disability Strategy will deliver a whole-of-government approach to disability planning, in collaboration with the states and territories and in consultation with people with a disability and other stakeholders in the disability sector. It is an innovative and desperately needed change of approach to disability planning and policy.

The Budget also provided an additional $100 million to increase the availability of supported accommodation for people with a disability where their carers are ageing. These facilities will allow older carers to plan for the transition of their children with a disability from the family home to other accommodation arrangements.

A further $25.7 million was provided to extend business access to wage assessment tools to calculate pro-rata wages for their employees with a disability. This means around ninety small businesses employing supported workers with a disability, which lack the infrastructure to administer internal wage assessments, can continue to rely on the Government-funded Business Services Wage Assessment Tool. These small businesses collectively employ around 9,000 supported employees with disabilities.

In July the Government announced it will introduce changes to the Disability Discrimination Act which will clarify the obligation of employers, service providers and others to remove discriminatory barriers for people with disabilities. This will occur in the spring parliamentary sittings, which will begin in late August.

Also in July, Australia ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Australia is one of the first western countries to do so.

Of course, there is still much to be done but, given that it has been in office for less than a year, the Rudd Labor Government has made a strong start to addressing the problems faced by people with a disability, their parents and carers.