Advancing Women with Disability Project Final Report
After more than three years, People with Disability Australia’s (PWDA’s) Advancing Women with Disability in the Workplace project has concluded, with its final report highlighting the project’s achievements, impact and lessons for improving employment and leadership opportunities for women with disability.
Funded by the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet through the Women’s Leadership and Development: Lead and Succeed grants program, the project ran from January 2023 to July 2026.
The project supported women with disability to pursue employment and leadership opportunities, while working with organisations to build safer, more accessible and inclusive workplaces.
Supporting women with disability and workplaces across Australia
The project reached 107 women, including 46 mentors and 46 mentees, and engaged organisations across nine industries and sectors.
Through disability-led education, mentoring, peer learning and workplace engagement, participants developed professional connections, strengthened their confidence and explored new career opportunities.
Before the program, 82% of surveyed participants reported experiencing barriers to leadership opportunities, while more than 60% reported low confidence in moving into leadership positions.
Mentoring was particularly valuable, with 71% of post-program survey respondents identifying working with a mentor as the most valuable part of their participation.
After the project, participants reported greater confidence in their leadership abilities, stronger professional networks and a clearer sense of their career goals.
It has opened up different career pathway for me and I feel excited to take on this next chapter of my career.
Mentee
What we learned
The final report found that women with disability often have the experience, skills and ambition to lead, but continue to face significant workplace barriers.
Inaccessible systems, discriminatory attitudes and limited leadership opportunities cannot be overcome through individual development alone.
I am capable. I just needed a chance.
Mentee
The final report makes six recommendations to strengthen future programs and support longer-term systemic change:
- Strengthen organisational commitment and accountability.
- Expand mentorship and relational learning models.
- Enhance networking and community pathways.
- Refine learning content for relevance and depth.
- Adopt more flexible and participant-centred evaluation methods.
- Support longer-term pathways to employment and leadership.
These recommendations highlight the need for continued investment in disability-led leadership development, alongside stronger action from employers to address systemic barriers.
While the project has concluded, its findings provide valuable lessons for employers, policymakers and organisations working to improve opportunities for women with disability.
PWDA thanks the women with disability who participated in the project, along with the mentors, partner organisations, facilitators and project team whose contributions made this work possible.
Through this project, a powerful network of women has emerged as a collective with the potential to lead, support one another, share knowledge, and drive change. This community is a testament to what is possible when women with disability are resourced, trusted and connected.
I am deeply grateful to every woman who participated in and contributed to Advancing Women. Their generosity, passion, and courage have shaped this project and paved the way for others. Together, we are building pathways for future women with disability to recognise themselves as capable, confident leaders and to know that they belong at the leadership table.
Summah McKinnon
Advancing Women with Disability in the Workplace
Project Manager
Final Report
Read the Advancing Women with Disability in the Workplace Final Project Report.
