Discover the potential of the disabled workforce
This groundbreaking research reveals the hidden potential of Aotearoa New Zealand’s disabled workforce. Commissioned from All is for All by Waihanga Ara Rau and Hanga-Aro-Rau, Let’s level up delivers crucial insights for employers looking to boost productivity and foster inclusivity in the construction, infrastructure, manufacturing, engineering, and logistics sectors. By addressing the challenges and identifying opportunities to support disabled workers, the report empowers businesses to attract and retain untapped talent.
Implementing these findings will not only close skill gaps but also create a more innovative, engaged, and diverse workforce.
Developed through a collaborative effort of industry leaders, disabled workers, and experts, this research is a comprehensive guide to building a more equitable workplace. It offers clear, actionable steps to break down barriers and unlock the full potential of disabled people in Aotearoa New Zealand.
“This report and the research behind it is so important because it was led by disabled people. It helps us to understand the barriers that prevent the full realisation of our right to work on an equal basis with others in open, inclusive and accessible work environments.”
“These reports serve as powerful tools for analysing current social realities faced by disabled people in accessing meaningful workforce opportunities. By drawing on lived expertise, they help address entrenched workforce inequities for disabled individuals, including tāngata whaikaha Māori. Additionally, they contribute to shaping the discourse on the future of work and industry.”
“Recent changes to disability funding will be positive if they align with the direction indicated by this report. The needs and aspirations of people with disabilities are diverse, and the supports that significantly impact their lives can’t be predetermined by policy. The disability workforce recognises this, and the report outlines how to help them become more responsive, skilled, and aspirational.”
“It’s vital to have industry-specific research into disabled people’s employment in New Zealand. The more we know about what helps, or hinders, disabled people to get into all types of work, the better we know what to do to change attitudes and remove barriers. This report illustrates the role employers can play and the kind of systems we need for disabled people to have the chance to contribute in such key industries as construction, infrastructure, manufacturing, engineering and logistics.”
Industries like construction, engineering, infrastructure, logistics and manufacturing require support to meet future demand. Support is also needed to improve recruitment and retention.1 At the same time, 55.9 per cent of working-age disabled people are not participating in the labour force.2 A standard definition of disability is those who experience longterm physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairments which, in interaction with various barriers, may hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others.3
With the right support, disabled people can become a valuable part of the construction, engineering, infrastructure, logistics and manufacturing workforce, strengthening these industries and helping them step into the future. Disability inclusion can also support the performance of businesses. An analysis of 45 companies classified as ‘Disability Inclusion Champions’ showed that, compared to other similar organisations, they achieved, on average, 28 per cent higher revenue, double the net income and 30 per cent higher economic profit margins over a four-year period.4
To unlock this potential, industries need to embrace both immediate and systemic changes, informed by industry and communities. That’s why Hanga-Aro-Rau and Waihanga Ara Rau Workforce Development Councils (WDCs) commissioned All is for All to conduct this research—to understand what enables or prevents the inclusion of disabled people in their sectors. Over 270 employers contributed, highlighting industry interest in tackling this issue and paving the way for positive change.
1 (Statistics New Zealand, 2023; Deloitte, 2022) 2 (Statistics New Zealand, 2023) 3 (United Nations, 2006) 4 (Accenture, 2018)
While 44 per cent of industry respondents have worked with disabled people, 51 per cent have never discussed disability or considered hiring more disabled workers. Employers are eager to learn, but this learning needs to evolve into ongoing conversations and shared knowledge to increase employment opportunities.5
Many disabled workers are reluctant to disclose their disability, fearing it may cost them their job or limit their opportunities. While employers often want more transparency, building a safe environment for disclosure is a shared responsibility among all industry stakeholders.
When asked whether their workplace was suitable for different disability types, the results showed that neurodivergence was considered the most suitable across industries. However, neurodivergent people indicated that more work was needed for their workplace to understand and support them. There is an opportunity to leverage employers’ enthusiasm toward neurodivergence to support the development of suitable environments for these employees.
Over half of surveyed employers worry that hiring disabled people could increase health and safety risks. However, research suggests that these risks may be more about perception than reality because disabled people are successfully managing health and safety in their sector.7 As industries gain a better understanding of disability, these concerns may ease.
Many disabled candidates are overlooked in hiring. Racism, sexism, and other legacy behaviours add to the barriers experienced in the hiring process.
While there are efforts to include disabled workers, these are often driven by the passion of individuals rather than at a system level. There’s a big opportunity to tap into the potential of disabled people and create sustainable inclusion across industries.
Not every disabled employee has access to a diagnosis. The research found that a diagnosis is critical to support the enablement of disabled workers. It helps them better understand themselves, advocate for their needs, be understood by others and opens up stronger pathways to establish the right support in the workplace.
5 (All is for All, 2024) 6 Neurodivergence: includes people who process information differently to what is expected or considered to be “typical”. This may result in “sensory, intellectual or mental” impairments under the UNCRPD. Neurodivergent is a strength-based term, which recognises differences in processing as variations, not deficits. Dyslexia, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder (ASD), dyspraxia, and fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) are neurodivergent experiences. 7 (All is for All, 2024; See also Sheppard, 2023)
