People with Disability Australia (PWDA) welcomes the End of Mission Statement by the United Nations Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery, Professor Tomoya Obokata, which highlights alarming instances of modern slavery experienced by people with disability in Australia. The statement, delivered at the conclusion of the Special Rapporteur’s visit to Australia, recommends the abolition of Australian Disability Enterprises (ADEs), recognising them as discriminatory.
PWDA representatives met with the Special Rapporteur on 22 November during his visit to Melbourne. The meeting provided an opportunity to speak to the lived experiences of people with disability and modern slavery risks for those who are subjected to exploitative practices, especially in segregated employment and group home environments.
PWDA wholeheartedly supports the Special Rapporteur’s recommendation to abolish ADEs, where workers with disability are often paid as little as $3 an hour—far below the national minimum wage of $24.10.
PWDA Deputy CEO Megan Spindler-Smith welcomed the recommendation and called for immediate action to commence phasing out segregated employment and end sub-minimal wages
“These are not transitional workplaces; they are dead ends. People with disability have the right to be employed, to maintain a decent job and be paid fairly for the work they do. ADEs perpetuate inequality and entrench discrimination, all while profiting from the labour of people with disability. We need immediate action from the Australian Government to phase out segregated employment and end sub-minimal wages.
“Real jobs and real wages are not a bonus, they’re a human right. We stand ready to work with all levels of government to support the adoption the Special Rapporteur’s recommendations and creation of pathways for meaningful, open employment for people with disability,” they said.
PWDA Interim President Trinity Ford has welcomed the acknowledgement of the increased risk of slavery, abuse and exploitation in segregated environments.
“The Special Rapporteur has acknowledged a grave and well-documented truth. Many people with disability in this country are experiencing forced labour, trafficking, and the siphoning of their NDIS packages in residential settings. We call for immediate action on the systemic failures that allow these practices to persist,” she said.
PWDA looks forward to continuing to work closely with the Special Rapporteur and contributing to their final report, due in September 2025. PWDA will continue advocating for urgent reforms to end segregation and address all forms of modern slavery experienced by people with disability.
ENDS
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People with Disability Australia Incorporated (PWDA) is a national disability rights and advocacy, non-profit, non-government organisation. We have a cross-disability focus, representing the interests of people with all kinds of disability and our membership is made up of people with disability and organisations mainly constituted by people with disability.
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