Has Inequity Faced by Young Australians With Disability Changed Since the Turn of the Century?

ABSTRACT

Despite the introduction of various policies aimed at promoting equality for people with disability since Australia ratified the Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities (CRPD) in 2008, there has been little evaluation regarding the extent of change in inequity since then. In particular, the outcomes for young people (15–29) with disability are consistently overlooked in policy evaluation, with current progress measures criticised as capturing only a partial picture. The current study aimed to track trajectories of social inequity between young people in Australia with and without disability from 2001 to 2023, as an indication of Australia's progress in promoting the rights of young people with disability. Secondary data analysis was conducted using data from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia survey. General linear models were used to compare outcomes for young people with and without disability on 29 indicators reflecting seven articles from the CRPD covering social, economic, educational and health outcomes. The results showed that while several outcomes improved for both young people with and without disability over time, there has been little change in the extent of inequity faced by those with disability since 2001. Implications and recommendations regarding future measures for policy evaluation are discussed.