(Under)valuing lived experience in the disability workforce: A snapshot of Australian job recruitment

Abstract

The Australian disability workforce has grown, and there is compelling evidence that peer work has a number of valuable impacts. Despite these apparent opportunities, there continue to be high levels of unemployment among people with disability and failure to draw on the assets of people with disability in Australian workplaces. To understand these ostensible missed opportunities, this study examined the ways in which lived experience was described as an asset in disability workforce recruitment. Advertisements for positions in New South Wales, Australia, that referred to lived experience or peer work and disability were collected over a 3-month period. Through a process of content analysis, we found that there were more employment opportunities for people with lived experience of mental illness than for other types of disability. Community engagement was a key function, and peer workers were described as complementary to professionals.Recruitment processes for lived experience jobs were not necessarily accessible. We recommend systemic reforms to facilitate recognition of lived experience as a valuable criterion for disability sector employment and to harness the benefits of a disability peer workforce.You can find an Easy Read report about this study called 'Working in the disability sector: Why is it important to include people with lived experience?' at http://hdl.handle.net/1959.13/1447606. This report uses pictures and text to make the research accessible to more people.

Organization Development Projection: Analysis of Leadership Style, Teamwork, Competence Employee and Recruitment Process

“…This process begins after hiring and divides competitors into two sections: those who are offered jobs and those who are not offered jobs. Affects workforce recruitment and retention, higher salaries and compensation (Davies & Butler, 2022).…”

Taking Power, Telling Stories: Using Collaborative Autoethnography to Explore Transitions to Adulthood with and without Disability Identities

“…We recognised the value of autoethnography in giving voice and offering a rich understanding of complex social issues. However, we also recognised the benefits of collaborative research, which aligned with the peer models of engagement we have used in other aspects of our personal and professional lives (Davies & Butler 2022;Scott & Doughty 2012). Collaborative approaches to autoethnography may be able to offer multiple points of view and offer opportunities for redistribution of power via a collaborative narrative and analysis process (Denshire 2014;Roy & Uekusa 2020;Spies et al 2021).…”

“…As researchers who are also involved in various forms of peer support and peer work-the sharing of lived experience for mutual benefit-connections to people with shared experiences were important to us (Davies & Butler 2022;Scott & Doughty 2012). We do, however, recognise that as researchers it is not our intention to represent the views of others (even those who may connect with our experiences) or to position our stories as anything other than our own.…”

“…We felt strong and in control of our own stories, largely because we had established, as a starting point, how we would communicate, care and make decisions. We were able to examine experiences of marginalisation (Chang 2016) and draw on principles of peer support-mutuality and respect-in this work (Davies & Butler 2022;Scott & Doughty 2012). In this spirit, we here offer some reflections on using collaborative autoethnography.…”

More Than Just Counselling: Australian Counsellor Job Advertisement Trends

“…Its aims were to gain a snapshot sample of advertisements at one point in time. Single point-in-time research is a common method for conducting advertisement-based research (Davies & Butler, 2022;Sinclaire et al, 2022). This approach did not require ethical approval as the information was publicly available, and there was no foreseeable human risk.…”