Mind the access gap

4 December 2024: Australians living with disability, chronic health conditions or who are neurodivergent still face significant challenges in the workplace according to a new Deloitte report released to coincide with International Day of People with Disability. The report found nearly three quarters of Australian respondents who requested a workplace adjustment had their request rejected, even though the most common requests come at no implementation cost to the employer.

The top three requested workplace adjustments were working from home when needed (71%), taking frequent breaks during a working day (60%), and access to a private or enclosed working space (54%). The most common reason for rejection was cost (47%) followed by it being judged an unreasonable request (40%).

These are some of the findings of the inaugural Disability Inclusion @ Work: A Global Outlook survey which provides insights into the workplace experiences of 10,000 respondents with disabilities, chronic health conditions or who are neurodivergent, across 20 countries, including Australia. The respondents represent a cross-section of organsations.

While the survey found more than nine in ten Australian respondents have disclosed having a disability, chronic health condition or being neurodivergent to someone at work, many don’t tell their peers. Three quarters of respondents have disclosed to a person in human resources, followed by their direct supervisor (65%). Less than a third (32%) have told a member of the team who is not their senior. Of those who choose not to disclose, more than a quarter say they’re concerned about discrimination.

The report also found that non-inclusive behaviours are common at work. Around four in ten Australian respondents have experienced one or more kind of non-inclusive behaviour. Of these, microaggressions were the most common, followed by bullying and then harassment.

Deloitte Australia Accessibility Leader Dani Fraillon said: “We know that people with disability experience significant inequality in social and economic outcomes compared to the rest of the population. This inequality is not because of a person’s disability but rather the structural barriers that prevent their participation in social and economic life. With around one in six Australians currently living with disability, this is something every organisation needs to address.

“Last year, Deloitte Access Economics presented research quantifying the benefits that can be achieved by removing the barriers to inclusion for people in the worklplace. It found that by uplifting social inclusion for people with disability to a level equal to the rest of the population, Australia could unlock close to $84.2 billion per annum in collective economic and social benefits. Disability inclusion is not just the right thing to do, it’s also the smart thing to do.”

The inaugural Disability Inclusion @ Work report provides five recommendations for business leaders on how to make meaningful and sustained progress on disability inclusion.

When it comes to enabling and accelerating disability inclusion at work, making workplaces more phsyically accessible (19%) and making disability inclusion a board-level agenda (16%) are the most-cited actions employers could take to make meaningful progress.

The survey also shows the impact of role models who have disabilities, chronic health conditions or are neurodivergent. Nearly four in ten respondents in Australia who have access to role models say this made them feel more confident they can succeed and achieve their professional goals. Nearly half (46%) of those with access to role models are more likely to disclose their disability, neurodivergence or chronic condition to others at work.

Deloitte Australia Chief People and Purpose Officer Pip Dexter said: “At Deloitte we’ve seen first-hand the impact of role modelling, visibility and storytelling. Since launching our neurodiversity mentoring program in 2022, the number of participants has more than doubled. In 2023, we launched our Access and Inclusion plan ‘Designing Deloitte for Everyone’, and since then we have more than doubled the percentage of our people who identify as living with disability.

“We recognise the benefits of having a diverse and inclusive workforce, where varied skills, perspectives, and experiences drive innovative practices and fuel business growth. We are committed to removing barriers for everyone, which includes providing choice and flexibility for how our people work. We know that flexibility is one of the most commonly requested workplace adjustments for disability inclusion and our DeloitteFlex framework offers our people 13 ways to flex their week in a way that suits their clients, their teams and themselves.

“Additionally, providing education and making work phsyically accessible are crucial. We’ve partnered with the Australian Disability Network to conduct a Dignified Access Review of our premises, and we continue to educate and upskill our people. We’ve also formed a dedicated IT accessibility team to improve digital accessibility. While these initiatives may involve some initial cost, making our workplaces accessible benefits everyone in the long term.”