The Federal Government has announced a $1.6 million grant for innovative projects to increase employment opportunities for people with disabilities.

Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations Bill Shorten said the funding will help to address the low participation in the labour force of people with disabilities; “figures put the workforce participation rate of people with disability at 54 per cent compared to 83 per cent for those with no reported disability,” Minister Shorten said, “denying people with disability the individual and social benefits of having a job is simply unacceptable in a modern, civilised society that cares about its people. Our economy will also benefit from bringing more people with disability into the workforce.”

The projects will be delivered by Work Focus Australia, they are expected to launch in the first part of the next financial year.

Work Focus Australia is a national organisation with an impressive track record in disability services. It has been the Disability Employment Services provider contracted to the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations, also running the JobAccess service and the National Disability Recruitment Coordinator service for DEEWR.

For more information on Australian Government disability employment programs, please visit their website.