The South Australian public sector is committed to creating a diverse, inclusive, informed, accessible, and safe workplace where everyone belongs.

Workforce participation is fundamental to social inclusion and economic independence. As the state’s largest employer, we have a responsibility to ensure our policies and practices are innovative and flexible and support the inclusion of people with disability across the public sector.

Disability should never be a barrier to employment, and agencies must cultivate workplaces where people feel safe to share their status and are supported to do so.

Information and resources are available to assist agencies in creating inclusive, accessible, safe and informed workplaces that value the contribution and experience of people with disability.

On this page

What is disability?

Disability can be visible or hidden, permanent or temporary, and may have minimal or significant impact on a person’s daily life and abilities. Some people are born with disability, while others may acquire disability at any stage of life.

Every person with disability is different, and every disability is experienced differently.

For the legal definition of disability, see the Disability Inclusion Act 2018 (SA).

About the law

The Disability Inclusion Act 2018 (SA) provides a framework to support inclusion and participation for people with disability in South Australia. It sets expectations for organisations, including government agencies, to improve access and remove barriers.

The Equal Opportunity Act 1984 (SA) makes discrimination unlawful in areas such as employment, education and access to services. It helps ensure everyone has a fair opportunity to participate in work and community life.

Your rights and responsibilities

It is against the law to discriminate against a person because of their disability, whether it is permanent or temporary.

In South Australia, the Equal Opportunity Act 1984 (external site) protects people from discrimination on the basis of disability.

This means:

  • people with disability have the right to be treated fairly at work
  • employers must take reasonable steps to prevent discrimination, harassment and victimisation
  • workplaces should provide reasonable adjustments where needed.

Get advice and support

If you are unsure about your rights and responsibilities, you can contact Equal Opportunity SA.

They can provide free and confidential advice about discrimination, rights and obligations in the workplace.

^ Back to top

Disability Employment Toolkit

The South Australian public sector Disability Employment Toolkit is an online resource designed to support employees to create more inclusive workplaces.

It is particularly useful for those working in:

  • human resources
  • learning and development
  • leadership roles.

The toolkit provides easy-to-use guidance, tools and resources to help improve employment outcomes for people with disability. It includes practical information on recruitment, workplace adjustments, and creating inclusive team environments.

Access the toolkit:

If you require this document in an alternative format, please contact us for assistance.

^ Back to top

Disability Employment Program

The Disability Employment Program is an initiative under section 65 of the Public Sector Act 2009 that aims to increase employment opportunities for people with disability in the South Australian public sector.

Under this program, people who are registered with an Inclusive Employment Australia (IEA) provider can apply for South Australian Government internal job vacancies, even if they are not currently employed in the public sector.

How it helps

The program:

  • expands access to job opportunities
  • supports more inclusive recruitment practices
  • helps increase representation of people with disability in the workforce.

^ Back to top

How to apply for SA public sector vacancies

SA public sector vacancies are advertised on the I WORK FOR SA website.

Candidates who are registered with an Inclusive Employment Australia (IEA) provider, can access additional opportunities through the Disability Employment Program.

When creating an account or searching vacancies, eligible candidates can select:

  • “I am a SA Public Sector employee”

This provides access to internal vacancies, even if they are not currently employed in the public sector.

Stay informed

Candidates can also set up alerts to receive automatic notifications about vacancies in their preferred agencies or areas of interest.

^ Back to top

How agencies can attract and employ people with disability

As the state’s largest employer, the South Australian public sector has a responsibility to ensure policies and practices are flexible, inclusive and support people with disability to access employment.

To support this, a minimum disability employment target of 3% across the public sector by December 2026 was introduced to encourage the recruitment of people with a disability.

Promote your vacancies

The National Disability Recruitment Coordinator (NDRC) provides a free job vacancy distribution service. This is a service that promotes vacancies to Inclusive Employment Australia (IEA) providers.

Sharing vacancies through the NDRC helps agencies:

  • reach a broader and more diverse talent pool
  • connect with job seekers with disability
  • attract candidates with a wide range of skills, experience and interests.

How to share a vacancy

Agencies can promote roles through the NDRC by:

Learn more

Further information is available on:

^ Back to top

Partnering with the National Disability Recruitment Coordinator

Agencies can partner with the National Disability Recruitment Coordinator (NDRC) for 12 months. Once partnered, the NDRC will assign you a Professional Adviser to provide expertise and services to make your organisation inclusive and accessible to people with disability including:

  • designing jobs specifically for people with disability
  • services and support to ensure that your workplace is a disability employer of choice
  • assist agencies work with Inclusive Employment Australia providers through each stage of the recruitment process
  • assistance with shortlisting and interviewing job candidates
  • providing on-the-job support for your new staff members.
  • disability awareness training
  • mental health awareness training
  • free workplace seminars.

Learn more

Further information is available on:

^ Back to top

What are reasonable adjustments?

According to the Australian Human Rights Commission, reasonable adjustments — also known as workplace adjustments or reasonable accommodation — are changes to work processes, practices or environments to ensure employees with disability can perform their job, safely and effectively, without barriers.

Examples of reasonable adjustments

Reasonable adjustments can vary depending on the individual and the role. They may include:

  • Recruitment adjustments
    (e.g. providing interview questions in advance to all candidates)
  • Flexible work arrangements
    (e.g. flexible start and finish times or adjusted hours)
  • Training and support
    (e.g. one-to-one training on workplace systems or tools)
  • Equipment and workplace set‑up
    (e.g. screen readers, ergonomic or adjustable desks, noise cancelling headphones, or other assistive technology)

Employer responsibilities

Employers must, in most circumstances, make reasonable adjustments to support employees with disability to work productively and safely.

Funding and support

Eligible employees may be able to access funding for workplace adjustments through the Employment Assistance Fund.

Learn more

For guidance specific to the South Australian public sector, see the:

^ Back to top

Why share information about your disability?

Sharing information about your disability is a person's choice. However, there are situations where you may choose to share this information with your employer or potential employer.

Why you might choose to share

You may wish to share information about your disability if:

  • you require a reasonable adjustment to do your job safely and effectively
  • your disability has changed, or you have acquired a disability and or health/medical condition while employed
  • there has been a change in your role or work environment.

Why agencies may ask

Agencies may also ask candidates or employees to share information about disability to:

  • better understand the diversity of the workforce and track progress over time
  • ensure workplaces are safe, inclusive and accessible for all employees
  • provide appropriate support and reasonable adjustments from recruitment through to ongoing employment.

Sharing this information can help agencies identify and remove barriers and improve workplace practices.

This approach aligns with guidance from the Australian Human Rights Commission.

^ Back to top

Disability, Diversity and Inclusion (DDI) Community of Practice

The Disability, Diversity and Inclusion (DDI) Community of Practice is coordinated by the Office of the Commissioner for Public Sector Employment (OCPSE).

It brings together public sector employees who actively support diversity and inclusion as part of their role — within their agency, across the public sector, or in the broader community.

What the Community of Practice does

The DDI Community of Practice:

  • promotes collaboration and shared learning
  • supports the development of inclusive practices
  • provides a network for employees working in diversity and inclusion roles.

Get involved

For more information or to join the Community of Practice, contact: OCPSEDiversityInclusion@sa.gov.au

^ Back to top

OCPSE Disability Access and Inclusion Plan and Autism Strategy Action Plan

The Office of the Commissioner for Public Sector Employment (OCPSE) is committed to creating a safe, inclusive and accessible public sector for all employees.

We are proud to reaffirm this commitment through our second Disability Access and Inclusion Plan (DAIP) and our first Autism Strategy Action Plan.

Our approach

The OCPSE DAIP builds on the foundations of our first plan and sets our direction over the next four years. Including the OCPSE Autism Strategy Action Plan within our DAIP supports a coordinated and streamlined approach. Together, our plans include more than 50 actions focused on improving access, inclusion and participation across our workplace.

This allows us to:

  • improve outcomes for Autistic people and people with disability
  • align our actions and priorities
  • reduce duplication of effort.

Learn more

You can also read the full plans below:

^ Back to top

Resources

Key resources to support disability inclusion and employment.

Policy and legislation

Inclusion strategies and frameworks

Employment and recruitment support

  • Inclusive Employment Australia
    Provides employment services to support people with disability to prepare for, find and maintain work.
  • I WORK FOR SA
    The South Australian Government’s website for public sector job vacancies and career opportunities.
  • National Disability Recruitment Coordinator
    A free service that helps employers promote vacancies and connect with job seekers with disability.
  • JobAccess
    Offers advice and resources for employers and employees on disability employment.

Rights, advice and workplace guidance

Funding and workplace adjustments

^ Back to top