Thought Leadership Event Series
https://library.westernsydney.edu.au/...

31 August 2023
Workforce & Training Issues in the Disability Sector
Dr Caroline Mills, Kitty Mach and Jeff Scobie

There are 4.4 million people living with disability in Australia. That’s 1 in 6 people. The likelihood of disability increases with increasing age. People with disability experience more disadvantage when it comes to participation and employment. This presentation discusses the work of Western Sydney University and the Western Sydney Disability Hub with a focus on two key workforce issues. First, there are not enough workers to meet demand within the disability sector. This is putting a strain on existing services and staff, compromising participation and outcomes for people with disability who want to access therapies and supports in the daily life. Second, people with disability are less likely to be employed. This can cause a cycle of poverty and welfare dependency negatively impacting on outcomes for people with disability. Come and hear from industry professionals and lived experience to see how this issue may be addressed.

Dr Caroline Mills is an occupational therapist and academic in the School of Health Sciences at Western Sydney University. Her work focuses on health and disability and is often codesigned with industry stakeholders and those with lived experience.
Kitty Mach is a provisional psychologist and WSU alumni, with lived experience of autism and ADHD. She brings a unique perspective to her work in the disability sector.

Jeff Scobie is a recognised leader in the disability field with over 40 years experience in the disability sector in various roles. He is currently the CEO of Macarthur Disability Services.

Western Sydney University was placed first in the world in the 2022 Times Higher Education Impact rankings, the only global performance measure that assesses universities against the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The event series aims to celebrate and promote this #1 ranking, complementing work being undertaken across the University as part of its Sustainability and Resilience Decadal Strategy 2030.

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