Disability Representative Organisations pen letter to UN Special Rapporteur on Contemporary Forms of Slavery
Women with Disabilities Australia (WWDA), People with Disability Australia (PWDA), First Peoples’ Disability Network (FPDN) and National Ethnic Disability Alliance (NEDA), have written a joint submission addressing concerns about issues of modern slavery impacting people with disability in Australia, including in the context of segregated employment.
The submission provides recommendations for the UN Special Rapporteur on Contemporary Forms of Slavery, to consider in preparation for his upcoming report on Australia.
Current reform context
- The Disability Royal Commission recommended ending segregated work and subminimum wages by 2034.
- The Australian Government has said that it will undertake consultation to consider this recommendation. A new disability employment program will start in 2025 but doesn’t commit to ending segregated work.
The submission puts forward seven recommendations, to call on the Australian Government to:
- Commit to a clear plan and deadline to phase out segregated employment and ensure fair pay for people with disability.
- Consider legal reforms to promote inclusive employment.
- Develop a national framework for temporary visa holders with disability.
- Expand NDIS eligibility to include people on temporary visas who meet the disability criteria.
- Collect data on modern slavery in Australia.
- Conduct research on modern slavery and the exploitation of people with disability, including in contexts of gender-based violence
- Create systems to compensate and support victims of modern slavery.
This submission asks the Special Rapporteur o to consider these critical issues in his final report and to recommend specific actions to the Government to ensure human rights and the safety of all people with disability.
Ending exploitation starts with visibility, accountability, and rights-based reform. Read the full letter below.