The Agency is committed to supporting participants who want to start thinking about how to get a job.
This might include funding capacity building supports to help participants build their work skills if they need extra help because of their disability.
As part of this commitment, the Agency commissioned and undertook research to learn what works to help people with a disability to find and keep a job.
Two thirds of all participants have a cognitive and/or psychosocial disability, so the research has focused on supports for people with autism, intellectual disability and psychosocial disability.
The research consists of two phases:
- An evidence review of 161 published articles, reports and data by 34 experts (academics and senior government and non-government executives who have disability-related expertise).
- A mixed methods research study that explored the barrier and enablers to employment and included interviews with participants, focus groups, and an online survey with NDIS frontline staff.
You can find details of the two phases below.
- Interventions to support economic participation and employment for people with intellectual disability, on the autism spectrum and with psychosocial disability.
- Exploring participant experiences: Achieving a sense of purpose – pathways to employment for NDIS participants with intellectual disability, on the autism spectrum and with psychosocial disability.
What are we doing with these findings?
The findings have informed the Agency’s targeted approach to delivering the Participant Employment Strategy in 2021-2022 and will continue to do so.
We have used this research to develop the Guide for understanding employment supports . This is a useful resource for participants and staff that can help them have conversations about finding and keeping a job and the types of support that can assist.
Finding and keeping a job is a goal for many of us. Our research examines how positive employment outcomes can be achieved for people with autism, intellectual disability and psychosocial disability.
You can learn more about work and study and how the NDIS can help by visiting Work and study supports .