News
More than two decades of national survey data suggests young Australians with disability continue to face many of the same inequalities as their peers did in 2001, despite significant disability policy reforms over that time.
Researchers from Flinders University analysed data from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey between 2001 and 2023, comparing Australians aged 15 to 29 with and without disability across 29 measures covering education, employment, health, financial security and community participation. The study examined progress against the aspirations of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and Australia's Disability Strategy.
The researchers found that while outcomes improved in many areas for both groups, the gap between young people with and without disability did not significantly narrow on any of the 29 indicators. Young people with disability remained more likely to experience unemployment, financial hardship and poor mental health, and less likely to report strong social support or community connection.
“Our findings indicate that things haven’t improved to any major degree – despite ongoing policy initiatives over recent decades aimed at reducing inequity for people with disability,” “We found that despite increased funding and major reforms over the last two decades, as of 2023, the inequity gap between young people with and without disability has not meaningfully narrowed for any of the 29 indicators since 2001."
Flinders research associate Dr Asha Parkinson
The findings come after a period of major reform, including the introduction of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), the Disability Royal Commission and successive National Disability Strategies. The authors note that these initiatives have delivered important changes, but argue measuring whether the gap between people with and without disability is narrowing provides a clearer picture of long-term progress.
The paper also highlights opportunities to strengthen how progress under Australia's Disability Strategy is evaluated. The researchers recommend greater use of comparative measures and age-specific reporting, arguing this would provide a more complete understanding of whether policies are improving outcomes and reducing inequality for young Australians with disability over time.