Welcome

Disability at Work and Workability International Virtual Conference, 13 October 2020 – “Disability employment in a digital world.”

This year’s NDS conference will incorporate the Workability International Conference and will be run as a one-day Virtual Conference due to consequences arising from the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The conference will examine innovative ways to inspire and engage people with disability in employment opportunities. It is aimed at employment service providers (open, supported and social enterprises) and professionals interested in the design and promotion of a broad range of employment opportunities for people with disability in a digital world. Running the event as a Virtual Conference will reflect both the recent events connected with the COVID-19 pandemic and the theme of the event, being the enhanced use of technology to allow virtual connections among interested parties around the globe.

Employment provides vitally important social and economic benefits for people with disability. These benefits include increased health and wellbeing, reduced reliance on welfare, greater financial security, a greater sense of self-worth and a positive role within the community.

A quickly changing global labour market that is seeing increased automation of work presents an opportunity to examine how the application of new technology can complement labour rather than replace it. Rapid developments in assistive technology have the potential to remove barriers to employment for people with disability that may have previously seemed insurmountable. Now more than ever, operating in such a fluid environment requires technological systems that support employment services to have access to the latest knowledge and information. The conference will also explore the extraordinary challenges that have arisen for societies and economies around the world following the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The employment participation rate of people with disability remains unacceptably low in many countries. The Australian Government has recently announced an NDIS Participant Employment Strategy that seeks to ensure an increased number of people with disability receive the supports they need to gain and maintain employment. 

Globally, there are a wide range of employment support models and labour market programs for people with disability. This conference will tap into the knowledge and expertise of international experts who will describe how they are responding to the challenge of finding sustainable employment for people with disability.