Shaping the future of employment services: Autism-Specific Considerations

The attached was submitted to the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations (DEWR) in response to its Shaping the future of employment services Discussion Paper released on 27 May 2026.

The Australian Autism Alliance supports the Government’s commitment to reforming Australia’s employment services system to create a more personalised, responsive and effective model that better supports people with disability to obtain and sustain meaningful employment. The Alliance supports the overarching direction of the proposed reforms and, in particular, the recognition that employment services should be designed around the individual, rather than requiring individuals to fit rigid service models. This represents an important opportunity to build an employment system that recognises diversity, responds to changing circumstances and focuses on long-term employment outcomes rather than short-term program participation.

Our submission (please access this via the button below) endorsed the recommendations of Inclusion Australia relating to: accessible and person-led assessment, greater transparency in assessment processes, improved publication of disability data, meaningful and paid co-design, disability representation in governance, accessible information and stronger safeguards throughout the employment services system. Our submission should be read as complementary to Inclusion Australia’s submission by identifying additional autism-specific considerations. Where this submission does not address a specific recommendation made by Inclusion Australia, it should not be taken as expressing a position on that issue.

The Alliance believes that successful employment reform requires more than improving employment programs. It requires designing systems that are flexible, accessible and capable of responding to the diversity of Autistic people. This includes recognising different communication styles, sensory and executive functioning differences, co-occurring conditions, changing support needs and the importance of workplace adjustments that enable individuals to participate and thrive.

At the centre of our submission is a straightforward question for DEWR: Has Government demonstrated enough evidence to responsibly authorise major reform? The Alliance believes all reform must be evidence-based, properly sequenced, safeguarded and accountable — and ultimately must leave people with disability better off.

If systems are not ready, reform and changes are not ready.

Click on the ‘Download PDF’ button below to view the entire submission

 

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