People with disability in Australia

Introduction

This page presents key findings from the People with disability in Australia 2024 report. The report is part of a series first published in 2019. The report uses the AIHW's ‘Person-centred reporting framework’ to present information about experiences and outcomes for people with disability across various aspects of life. For more detailed information on each topic, please see the relevant report chapters.

This summary is also available as a series of downloadable fact sheets. The fact sheets can be accessed from the ‘Related material’ section in the left navigation menu.

How many people have disability?

People with disability are diverse – having different types and levels of disability, coming from all demographic and socioeconomic groups, and having varying needs for assistance. For example, of people with disability in 2018:

• 1 in 2 (51%) were female
• 1 in 4 (23%) reported a mental or behavioural disorder as their main condition (the condition causing them the most problems) and 3 in 4 (77%) reported a physical disorder as their main condition
• 1 in 3 (32%) had severe or profound disability
• 1 in 3 (30%) (among those not living in cared accommodation) needed help with health care
• 1 in 4 (27%) (not living in cared accommodation) needed help with property maintenance
• 1 in 4 (23%) (not in cared accommodation) needed help with household chores
• 1 in 2 (48%) (aged 5 and over, and not in cared accommodation) had a schooling or employment restriction.

Disability prevalence increases with age – the longer people live, the more likely they are to experience some form of disability. In 2018:

• 7.6% of children aged 0–14 years had disability
• 13% of people aged 15–64 years had disability
• 50% of people aged 65 years and over had disability.

The disability-free life expectancy (that is, the estimated number of years people can expect to live without disability) of Australians is increasing over time:

• Boys born in 2003 could expect to live 78 years on average, including 59 (76%) without disability. Girls born in 2003 could expect to live 83 years on average, including 62 (75%) without disability.
• Boys born in 2018 could expect to live 81 years on average, including 64 (79%) without disability. Girls born in 2018 could expect to live 85 years on average, including 66 (78%) without disability.

Health of people with disability

People with disability are more likely than those without disability to have poor general and mental health.

People with disability have higher health risk factors than those without disability. In 2020–21:

• 14% of adults (aged 18 and over) with disability smoked daily, compared with 9.1% of those without disability.
• 8.3% adults with disability had sugary drinks daily, compared with 5.6% of those without disability.

Health risk factors are higher for some sub-groups of people with disability than others. For example, in 2020–21:

• 36% of men (aged 18 and over) with disability exceeded alcohol consumption guidelines, compared with 19% of women with disability. This pattern is similar to the general Australian population.
• 84% of adults with psychosocial disability did not meet physical activity guidelines, compared with 77% of those with physical disability and 70% of those with sensory or speech disability.

Some people with disability experience barriers to accessing and using health services. These include longer than desired waiting times, the cost of services, the accessibility of buildings, discrimination by health professionals, and a lack of communication among health professionals. In 2018:

• 7.6% of people with disability aged under 65 delayed or did not see a GP when needed because of cost
• 1 in 4 (24%) people aged 15–64 with disability waited longer than acceptable to get an appointment with a GP
• nearly half (47%) of people aged under 65 with severe or profound disability saw 3 or more health professionals for the same condition, compared with one-third (34%) of people with disability other than severe or profound.

There is limited data that would enable comparison of health-care access for people with disability and for those without disability. However, available data suggest that people with disability are more likely than the general Australian population to face barriers, such as cost, when accessing health services.

Social support

In this report, social support refers to government-funded supports provided by specialist disability services. This topic also covers social inclusion, and the experiences of people with disability when accessing key mainstream services.

Government-funded specialist disability support services are now largely provided through the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).

Among NDIS participants aged under 65:

• 62% were males and 37% were females
• 37% had autism as their primary disability
• 7.9% identified as First Nations people
• 9.2% identified as culturally and linguistically diverse.

Not all people with disability need assistance from formal service providers (formal service providers include organisations or their representatives, and individuals providing regular paid care; formal services may include mainstream services and specialist disability services such as those provided by the NDIS). Based on the latest available survey data, in 2018:

• 40% of people with disability living in households needed assistance from formal service providers. Most (86%) of those who needed formal assistance had received at least some assistance.
• 82% of people with disability who received formal assistance were satisfied with the quality of services and 73% were satisfied with the range of services available (of those aged 15 and over, and where levels of satisfaction could be determined).

People with disability may experience lower rates of social participation and greater risk of isolation and loneliness than those without disability:

• 1 in 4 (27%) people with disability aged 5 and over, living in households, do not leave home as often as they would like (2018)
• 1 in 4 (23%) people with disability aged 15–64 sometimes or often have difficulty getting to the places they need to reach, compared with 17% of those without disability (2019)
• 1 in 5 (19%) people with disability aged 15–64 experience social isolation (lack of social contact with others), compared with 9.5% without disability (2021)
• 3 in 10 (29%) people with disability aged 15–64 say they often feel lonely, compared with 17% without disability (2021).

Positive experiences when accessing services are essential in enabling full social and economic participation of people with disability. According to the new 2022 survey data:

• 94% of people with disability (aged 18 and over) said they were treated with respect when accessing key mainstream services.
• 1 in 6 (17%) thought they would have been treated better by service workers if they did not have disability.

Justice and safety

In the previous 12 months, among people aged 15–64 with disability living in households:

• 16% experienced disability discrimination (2018)
• 44% avoided situations because of their disability (2018).

Each year, the Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) receives more complaints about disability discrimination than about any other form of discrimination. In 2022–23, 46% of AHRC complaints were about disability discrimination.

People who have experienced disability discrimination are more likely to avoid situations (stay away from people or places because of their disability), and have poorer health and socio-economic outcomes than those who have not experienced discrimination.

Barriers to accessing buildings and facilities can represent a form of discrimination. In 2018, among people aged 15–64 with disability living in households and who went to places away from their residence:

• 1 in 6 (16%) had difficulty using public transport, and a further 11% were unable to use public transport at all
• 3 in 10 (30%) of those who had challenges with mobility or communication had difficulty accessing buildings or facilities.

Experiences of violence

Men are much more likely to experience physical violence than women. The proportions of men who reported in 2021–22 that they have experienced physical violence in the last 2 years were similar for men with disability (9.8%) and without disability (9.0%).

Women with disability are more likely to have recent experiences of violence than women without disability. In 2021–22:

• 5.8% of women with disability (aged 18 and over) have experienced physical violence in the last 2 years, compared with 4.2% without disability
• 4.0% experienced sexual violence in the last 2 years, compared with 2.5%
• 7.0% experienced emotional abuse by partner in the last 2 years, compared with 4.6%
• 4.6% experienced economic abuse by partner in the last 2 years, compared with 2.4%
• 14% experienced sexual harassment in the last 12 months, compared with 12%.

Some groups of women with disability are more likely to have experienced violence. Women with psychosocial disability (such as disability arising from emotional, nervous, or mental health condition, memory problems, or social or behavioural difficulties) are more likely to have recent experiences of violence, abuse and harassment than other women with or without disability.

Housing

Housing plays a key role in the health and wellbeing of people with disability, by providing shelter, safety and security. The availability of affordable, sustainable and appropriate housing helps people with disability to participate in the social, economic and community aspects of life.

Most people with disability live in the community (in private dwellings like houses or apartments), while others live in cared accommodation (such as hospitals or nursing homes). In 2018:

• 96% of people with disability (87% of people with severe or profound disability) lived in the community
• 91% of people aged 65 and over and 99% of people aged under 65 with disability lived in the community
• 82% of people with disability who lived in the community were living in a separate house, as did 81% of people without disability
• 24% of people with disability (excluding children under 15 and dependent students aged 15–24) were living alone, compared with 10% of people without disability
• 12% of people with disability living in the community were living in a dwelling that was modified to their needs, most often to install handrails or grabrails.

Most people with disability live in a home that is owned by themselves or their families (for dependent children) (64% in 2018), either with or without a mortgage. If renting, people with disability are more likely to be living in public housing than people without disability – in 2018, this was the case for 16% of renters with disability and 4.1% for those without disability.

At June 2022, 1 in 5 (20%) individuals and families receiving Commonwealth Rent Assistance (CRA) received Disability Support Pension (DSP) as their primary income support payment. About 1 in 3 (33%) individuals and families receiving CRA and DSP were in rental stress; this was lower than for all CRA recipients (44%).

Just over 1 in 3 (36%) households living in social housing at June 2022 had at least one person with disability. In 2021, 75% of social housing households with a member disability had their needs for safety and security of home met.

About 1 in 10 (9.5% or 25,900) Specialist Homelessness Services (SHS) clients in 2022–23 had disability; 2.8% (or 7,600) had severe or profound disability. SHS clients with disability tend to have more complex support needs; they need more support services (average of 12.4 service types, compared with 8.8 for clients without disability) and longer support periods (81 days compared with 56).

Education and skills

School-age (5–18) children with disability have similar school attendance rates as those without disability. School students with disability can attend a mainstream or a special school. Some students attending mainstream school may attend special classes at their school. In 2018:

• Most (89%) children and young people aged 5–18 with disability attended primary or secondary school – the same proportion as for those without disability.
• Most (89%) school students with disability went to a mainstream school; 18% attended special classes in a mainstream school, and 12% went to a special school.
• Of school students with severe or profound disability, 80% went to a mainstream school (21% attended special classes and 59% regular classes only in a mainstream school) and 20% went to a special school.

People with disability generally have lower educational attainment than people without disability. In 2018:

• 21% of people with disability (aged 15–64, living in households and who acquired disability before age 15) had left school before they turned 16, compared with 8.9% of those without disability
• 34% of people with disability aged 20 and over had completed year 12 or equivalent, compared with 66% of those without disability
• 17% of people with disability aged 20 and over had completed a bachelor's degree or higher, compared with 35% of those without disability.

There have been improvements in school retention and completion for people with disability over the recent years. This is evident by looking at the younger cohort of people with disability. In 2018:

• among people who acquired disability before age 15, 11% in the 15–24 age group left school before age 16, compared with 25% of those aged 25–64
• 66% of people with disability aged 20–24 had completed year 12 or equivalent, compared with 60% of those aged 25–29 and 56% of those aged 30–34.

About one-third (32%) of school students with disability do not need or receive support at school and a further 36% receive sufficient support for their needs. However, 10% of school students with disability need support but do not receive any, and 21% receive some support but need more. 

Employment

Employment is linked not only to income and economic security, but also to other aspects of a person's wellbeing. Barriers to finding or keeping employment can, for example, affect a person's standard of living and mental health as well as have broader impacts on their family and the community.

People with disability are less likely to participate in the labour force than people without disability. In 2018, for people aged 15–64:

• 53% of people with disability were in the labour force (working or looking for work), compared with 84% of those without disability. Among people with severe or profound disability, 27% were in the labour force.
• Of people with disability who were not in the labour force, most (59%) were permanently unable to work.

People with disability are less likely to be employed and, if employed, are more likely to work part time, compared with those without disability. In 2018, for people aged 15–64:

• 48% of people with disability were employed (80% without disability).
• 41% of employed people with disability were working part-time hours (32% without disability).
• 10% of employed people with disability were underemployed (worked part time and wanted to work more hours), compared with 6.9% of those without disability. At the same time, 28% of employed people with disability were working part time and did not want a job with more hours (the remaining 3% were unsure or not available to work more hours).
• People with disability were twice as likely to be unemployed (10%) as those without disability (4.6%).

Most employed people with disability aged 15–64 do not require additional support from their employer to work (88% in 2018) and do not need additional time off from work due to their disability (82% in 2018).

From the employers' perspective, challenges in employing people with disability ranged from difficulty in finding qualified people (76% in 2022) to co-workers' attitudes (53%). Three in 10 (30%) employers said their workplaces were more prepared to hire someone with disability now than they were 12 months ago (7.6% were less prepared, and 63% were unchanged from last year).

Income and finance

The type and level of income can provide insights into people's standard of living and economic security. Stable income can provide economic security to support a standard of living and cover essential needs, both now and in the future. Economic security can enhance a person's overall wellbeing and enable full participation in social, economic, political and cultural life.

Most people with disability aged 15–64 have a source of income (90% in 2018, the same as for people without disability).

People with disability are less likely to receive income from wages or salary, and more likely to receive income from government payment than those without disability. In 2018, for people aged 15–64:

• 41% of people with disability received some income from wages or salary (73% without disability)
• 44% of people with disability received some income from government payments (12% without disability).

Similarly, for the main source of income, for people aged 15–64 who had a source of income in 2018:

• government pension or allowance was the main source of income for 43% of people with disability, 69% with severe or profound disability, and 7.9% without disability
• wages or salary was the main source of income for 42% of people with disability, 20% with severe or profound disability, and 80% without disability.

People with disability also tend to have lower levels of income and financial security than people without disability:

• In 2018, 38% of households with a person with disability had low level of household income (were in the bottom 3 deciles), compared with 18% of households with no disability.
• In 2021, 25% of people with disability aged 15–64 said they would not be able to raise $3,000 in a week for an emergency (9.4% without disability).
• In 2021, 8.8% of people with disability aged 15–64 went without meals due to a shortage of money (2.3% without disability).

Disability Support Pension (DSP) is one of Australia's most prevalent income support payments for people of working age, with 3 in 10 (29%) income support payment recipients aged 16–64 receiving the DSP at March 2023.

Key data gaps

The People with disability in Australia 2024 report brings together information from more than 25 national data sources, including population surveys and administrative data sets. Although these data sources provide important insights into the experiences of people with disability in Australia, critical data gaps remain. For example, there is a lack of information on:

• what services people with disability use (across mainstream and specialist areas)
• contact of people with disability with the justice and child protection systems
• the use of restrictive practices (such as seclusion and physical or chemical restraints)
• people with disability in closed and segregated settings and those with communication support needs
• intersectionality and diversity of disability sub-groups – such as people with different types of impairment, First Nations people with disability, people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, and LGBTIQ+ people with disability
• key lifecourse transitions – such as from school to further education or employment
• unmet need for services (within and outside of the National Disability Insurance Scheme)
• the immediate and long-term impacts of natural disasters and emergencies 
• the quality and sustainability of the disability workforce
• supported decision-making for people with disability, such as on the extent to which people with disability are represented and supported in proceedings and decision-making processes
• causes of death of people with disability – such as potentially avoidable deaths.

These gaps largely result from issues with existing data, such as inconsistent definitions of disability, barriers to data sharing, or data about disability not being collected at all (which is the case for many mainstream data collections). These limitations were further highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic and the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability (the Royal Commission). The Royal Commission made a range of recommendations to address specific data gaps relating to areas such as realising the human rights of people with disability, enabling autonomy, access to services, and participation in all aspects of life, and achieving inclusive systems such as education, employment, and housing.

Opportunities to enhance the evidence base about people with disability include:

• improving the quality and comparability of data across sources by adopting more consistent definitions, or adding a disability ‘flag’ to mainstream data collections
• maximising the use of existing data sources by bringing together information from multiple sources, such as in this report
• adding to data sources, such as by enhancing or adding data items to existing data collections, enabling data sharing and linkage of data, and creating new data collections or data assets.

These gaps and opportunities are not exhaustive, but are a starting point for future discussion. The AIHW continues to work with other statistical agencies and data custodians to maximise and streamline data about people with disability and to improve data quality.

The Australian, state and territory governments are working together with the disability community to design the National Disability Data Asset. The asset will link de-identified data from Australian and state and territory government sources to better understand the life experiences of people with disability. The linked data will provide new insights into how people with disability interact with multiple support services and programs, and will help improve programs and services for people with disability. The AIHW is working with the ABS to design and deliver the technical aspects of the disability data asset.

As part of Australia's Disability Strategy 2021–2031, the Strategy's Data Improvement Plan sets out how to improve the data needed to track progress against the Strategy Outcomes Framework, to ensure data needed to measure outcomes for people with disability are collected, shared and progressively improved over the life of the Strategy, and to identify where data need to be linked between systems to improve our understanding of the impact of the Strategy.