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A PROFILE OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITY IN AUSTRALIA



The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities aims to enhance opportunities for people with disability to participate in all aspects of social and economic life. While there have been many improvements in the lives of people with disability, significant barriers still remain.

The results of the 2015 Survey of Disability, Ageing and Carers provide a profile of people with disability in Australia.

• There were 4.3 million Australians with disability in 2015
• The likelihood of living with disability increases with age, 2 in 5 people with disability were aged 65 years or older
• Almost 1/3 of people with disability had a profound or severe disability
• Around 3 in 5 people with disability* needed assistance with at least one activity of daily life
• Around half of people with disability used aids or equipment to help with their disability
• Around 1 in 5 people with disability said their main long-term health condition was a mental or behavioural disorder
• People with disability* aged 15-24 years were 10 times more likely to report the experience of discrimination than those aged 65 years and over
• 53% of people with disability participated in the workforce**, compared with 83% of people with no reported disability
• The weekly median income** of people with disability was $465, which was less than half of those with no reported disability