Tracking equality at work for Disabled People: how is New Zealand going?

Disabled people’s organisations have welcomed the first set of indicators developed to track equal employment opportunities for disabled people.

DPA, the national pan disability organisation and collective voice of disabled people supports the Commission’s report.  CEO Ross Brereton says, “More leadership from New Zealand’s large employers, local bodies and the public sector in promoting the merits of employing disabled people is critical for positive change. We still have some way to go for disabled people and employers to realise the intentions of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities ratified by our government in 2008”.

The Commission’s release of ‘Tracking equality at work for Disabled People’ coincides with a growing public consensus of the need to address the fundamental inequalities faced by disabled people in employment given “Disabled people in New Zealand find that getting a decent job is one of their most significant challenges.”

The report highlights the urgent need to improve the participation of disabled people in the paid workforce and their accessibility to decent work.

Anne Hawker, Board Secretary of the Employers’ Disability Network Trust says “The report provides important information that helps demystify the pre-conceptions held by employers about the costs and inconvenience of employing disabled people. ‘Tracking Equality at work for Disabled People’ highlights the role employer’s play in enabling disabled people to be fully included in society through employment”, she says.

People First NZ National manager, Cindy Johns says “The release of the Human Rights Commission report Tracking Equality at work for Disabled People provides a useful overview of employment issues for disabled people. People First fully supports all the future actions outlined in the report and particularly the call for a review of the implementation of the minimum wage exemption legislation and making the processes and outcomes transparent”.

Michael Aldridge, National Chairperson of People First NZ and a long term employee of Sealord’s Nelson says “Members of People First have always called for ‘REAL JOBS FOR REAL PAY’. More opportunities for real jobs in open employment with the right support and accommodations is what is needed.”

The report Tracking equality at work for Disabled people includes:

  • a detailed overview of issues faced by disabled people in the labour market
  • promotion of Article 27 of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities relating to work and employment
  • an examination of international obligations and New Zealand legislation that impacts on disabled people at work
  • the first set of Equality at Work Indicators with disability measures developed in New Zealand to track progress towards equality at work
  • a detailed overview of labour market participation and what this means for disabled people
  • a set of recommendations for the Human Rights Commission and the Government to push on with strengthening equality at work for disabled people and others.

The report is available in a number of versions.

If you require a hard copy of this report please contact emilias@hrc.co.nz and include your postal address.

 

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