Why are so many Australians with a disability not disclosing their status?

Four in 10 people with a disability in Australia said their organisations are not collecting disability status data.

And even if they are collecting this data, nearly 30% of people with disability are choosing not to share their status, according to a report from the Australian Disability Network.

Corene Strauss, chief executive of the Australian Disability Network, said collecting disability data will allow organisations to track their progress in addressing the disability employment gap.

"The safe and respectful collection of disability data is essential to increase the workforce participation rate of people with disability. We can't fix what we don't understand," Strauss said in a statement.

 So, why are people with a disability not disclosing their status?

• Fear that they would be seen less favourably by managers or overlooked for promotions or development opportunities (35%)
• Concerns about privacy and how the information would be used (39%)
• Lack of trust that sharing would result in a positive outcome (33%)

Workplace inclusion shortfalls

These concerns likely stem from experiences of workplace exclusion among people with disability, as the report also found that 42% of them have experienced discrimination and harassment at work, twice as likely as employees without a disability.

Employees with disability also face disproportionate exclusion at work (16%), according to the report. A third of them (35%) also reported being left out of social gatherings at work.

Lisa Annese, CEO of Diversity Council Australia, said these findings underscore the need for organisations to adopt inclusive practices.

"Behind the troubling experiences faced by employees with disability are deeply rooted personal and systematic biases," Annese said in a statement. "Organisations bear a significant responsibility in dismantling these barriers to foster equitable employment opportunities, outcomes, and experiences for people with disability."

These findings also support the need to collect comprehensive data on employment experiences to address the pervasive challenges impacting employees with disability, according to the CEO.

"By enhancing our understanding of disability data collection and implementing leading practices outlined in the report, organisations can foster environments where every employee feels valued, respected, and fully supported," Annese said.

The Disability Data at Work report was released by the DCA in collaboration with Australian Disability Network. It draws on previously unreleased insights from DCA's 2023-2024 Inclusion@Work Index survey.