Employees working in Australian Disability Enterprises (ADEs) will appear at a three day hearing to detail their experiences as the Royal Commission examines whether ADE’s contribute to, or prevent, violence, abuse, neglect or exploitation of people with disability.
ADEs provide ‘supported employment opportunities to people with moderate to severe disability across Australia’.[1]
Commencing on Monday April 11, Public hearing 22 will examine issues including:
the day to day experiences of people with disability working in ADEs, including roles, tasks and workplace culture
the conduct of wage assessments in ADEs
supported wage levels and the interaction between supported wages and the Disability Support Pension
what opportunities for progression and training within ADEs and transition from ADEs to other forms of employment are available to people with disability
whether there is oversight of the operation of ADEs to ensure choice and control for people with disability in relation to their employment.
Over a dozen witnesses will appear including people with disability working in ADEs, their family members, and representatives from the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) and the Department of Social Services (DSS).
A large employer of people with disability in Australia, Bedford, will be giving evidence remotely from South Australia.
Chair Ronald Sackville AO QC will preside over the hearing along with Commissioner Rhonda Galbally AC and Commissioner Andrea Mason OAM.
Public hearing 22 will be closed to the public, but will be live-streamed on the Royal Commission homepage and include live captioning and Auslan-English interpreters.
Please note journalists should register (in advance if possible) with the Disability Royal Commission media team for access to the live transcript of the hearing via Lexel.
