Speed Read

  • Organisations can help break down the barriers to the participation of people with disability in the workforce and broader community by creating an Accessibility Action Plan
  • One in five of us, over four million people in Australia, have some form of disability, of whom around 20 percent are women
  • Women living with disability often have to challenge an additional set of prejudices and stereotypes in the workplace

It can be easy to assume that putting gender equality on the agenda helps creating a more equal playing field for all women. But it’s important for organisations to take a more granular approach and address the different needs of different women. For example, those from different cultural and racial backgrounds, those in different age groups, or those living with disability.

For women who identify as having a disability, there’s a set of prejudices and stereotypes that can impact opportunities to work, as well as their career progression within workplaces. Questions based on unhelpful stereotypes such as “You can’t see, so how are you going to use a computer?” and “How are you going to cope with pressure in a role if you live with anxiety?” are unfortunately still common.

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