Not a Level Playing Field – People With Disability

Abstract

Not a Level Playing Field – People with Disability builds on the Actuaries Institute’s May 2023 Green Paper that found inequality in Australia is significantly higher than in the 1980s. The new report provides a deeper and more nuanced examination of inequalities for people with disability in Australia. We examine the income gaps for people with disability compared to the broader population, finding that disposable income is about half for those with severe disability, aged 25 to 64. These income gaps intersect with poorer social outcomes, measured across indicators such as poverty, unemployment, psychological distress, suicide rates, crime victimisation and incarceration. The Report supports the existing movement from a medical model of disability to social and rights-based models. It also calls for improved data collection and the use of linked data to better understand disability within Australia to inform potential solutions.