Disability Champions
Opening graphics
Logo – Australian Government
Logo – As One – working together to transform the APS workforce
As One, the Australian Public Service Disability Employment Strategy, aims to support the employment of people with disability in our large and diverse workforce.
In this video, senior leaders share their experiences of creating inclusive and confident workplaces for people with disability.
Question on screen: What does 100% commitment mean for APS leaders?
Dr Ian Watt AO, Secretary (retired), Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet
100 % looks like someone who not just talks the talk but walks the talks as well. Someone who encourages people with disability in the workplace, someone who goes out of their way to make them welcome, someone who says this is not a problem, this is an opportunity and makes sure that it is an opportunity.
Question on screen: Why is it important for leaders to be engaged in disability issues?
Michelle Cornish, Group Manager, Department of Education, Diversity Champion
I think it is so important for agencies to have senior disability champions. SES have so much power to do good things and it is so important to have those role models in the workplace so that people feel this is an environment where it’s safe, for example, to disclose that you have disability and it’s also an environment where you will get the reasonable adjustment that you require in order to stay employed.
Mark Sweeney, Assistant Secretary, Department of Immigration and Border Protection
Branch Manager- Operations People and Culture National Disability Insurance Agency
Senior leaders have a role in changing the culture in the organisation. If senior leaders have an understanding and a commitment and also can promote wellbeing in an organisation, overall the organisation will be better for it. Doesn’t mean to say that every leader at every level does not have a role, in fact, they do. The most senior leaders have a role in promotion of this type of activity though.
Carmel McGregor, Deputy Secretary (retired), Department of Defence
Leadership’s fundamental in shaping and changing a workforce, changing attitudes. People look to the leader to set the tone, expect them to be good role models, and actually pave the way, get the settings, the policies right and practice what they preach. So there couldn’t be anything more important than having visible leadership around this issue.
David Parker AM, Deputy Secretary, Department of the Environment, Disability Champion
I think in any organisation creating the environment, the right environment, the right culture, has to start at the top. We had a mental health week here a little while ago, we had myself and the Secretary and the Minister come and talk at an event open to all staff about mental health issues. We talked in a very open way, and when you can create that open environment then people feel that they have the freedom to talk about these things.
Michelle Cornish, Group Manager, Department of Education, Diversity Champion
When I was in Centrelink I had the honour of being the disability champion, which was a wonderful role as part of my People role. As SES, the Senior Executive Service has such a lot of power to make a difference in the decisions we make every day, in the way that we interact with our people and people in other teams.
Phillip Glyde, Deputy Secretary, Department of Agriculture, Disability Champion
I think in our experience it’s someone who is at the senior level in the organisation who can help make things happen. It indicates, I think, that the department or the Australian Public Service is taking disability seriously.
Question on screen: How can leaders build an inclusive culture?
Mark Sweeney, Assistant Secretary, Department of Immigration and Border Protection
Branch Manager- Operations People and Culture National Disability Insurance Agency
I think the manager has the unique place in the workplace, because the manager can actually influence the workforce by acceptance, by openness. If the manager does those things then the workforce is likely to be the same way. If you’re positive, people will be positive with you. If you’re negative, their negativity will grow. It’s about how you can bring that positivity back into the workforce.
Michelle Cornish, Group Manager, Department of Education, Diversity Champion
When I became a disability champion in Centrelink one of the first things I did was attend a Disability Confidence program, one-day program, and it was fantastic because it gave me confidence to talk with people in my workplace who had disability without feeling I was going to put my foot in it or I was going to embarrass them or myself, or that it was awkward. It helped a lot.
Question on screen: What is the role of a Disability Champion in the workplace?
Michael Pini, Senior Tax Counsel, Australian Taxation Office, Disability Champion
I think it’s vitally important to have visibility from people to champion these needs and that’s why in my case I hook into workplace diversity needs to ensure that these things are being championed. To use a cliché, I’ve been there, done that. In 27 years I’ve managed to reach a fairly senior position in the ATO. And I think if someone like me can be visible and champion these things it can only help encourage other managers to champion the workplace diversity.
Carmel McGregor, Deputy Secretary (retired), Department of Defence
Well, they need to lead. They need to have empathy and understanding. Keep abreast of things that are – new policies, new ideas. See what’s worked elsewhere and ensure that the people who are working with the champion or in the, sort of, line area are really energetic and focused on making a difference. Keep apprised of success and how that’s translating to increased uptake of employees with disability, understanding where impediments are occurring and striving to get rid of them. So it’s a sort of multifaceted role, but important that the champion really pursues the agenda as vigorously as they possibly can.
Samantha Palmer, First Assistant Secretary, Department of Health
I think it’s important for champions to have a good relationship with the HR area and to also have a good relationship with the executive and the senior staff member of your organisation, whether that’s a CEO or an agency head. And if you have that good relationship, both with your senior executive and with your HR area, you’ve actually got an enormous amount of support and assistance that’s available to you. But as a champion, you also need to find your own energy and make your own momentum. No-one’s going to do that for you, so what you can achieve as a champion is very much up to what you want to put in.
Closing graphics
Logo – As One – working together to transform the APS workforce
Logo – Australian Government
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