Disability Employment Australia is the peak body for Australian disability employment services. We are recognised internationally as the pre-eminent organisation representing, supporting and resourcing disability employment throughout Australia.
As a membership organisation, we exist to represent the interests of stakeholders of disability employment throughout Australia to government bodies as well as employer, disability support and advocacy groups.
Disability Employment Australia supports the Australian Government to deliver high quality employment support to people with disability in Australia and significantly increase workforce participation rates.
We have a unique responsibility to foster excellence, innovation and flexibility of service within the Disability Employment Services program. We support our members to achieve best practice service provision in their role to find employment outcomes for people with disability.
We advise, advocate, train, inform and undertake events to strengthen and promote the sector.
We believe in the right of every member of society to be included fully in the community and to have control over their own life choices. Participation in the open labour market is a crucial factor in realising these goals.
We strive to inspire, challenge and celebrate Disability Employment. DEA has been a leader in the disability employment sector for a quarter of a century, and our membership encompassing 70% of the sector’s providers.
DEA has been at the forefront of informed debate with government through critical changes and developments including:
Moving from block to case based funding
Uncapping of DES
Disability Employment Hall of Fame
DES Essentials training
Establishment of five year contracts
The 2015-17 DES review and 2018 DES
Supporting evidence based continuous improvement
NDIS participant employment strategy 2019-2022
National Disability Employment Strategy