Mr Innes said people with disabilities should be “included at the level of 15 or 20 per cent of the faces we see in advertising”,and pointed to 2014 research that found disabilities on television were “woefully lower than the average in the population”.
In the study of 199 television dramas,Screen Australia found only 4 per cent of characters had an identified disability compared to an estimated 18 per cent of Australians.
Mr Innes said the public’s familiarity with people like Paralympic gold medallist and 2019 Australian of the Year finalist Kurt Fearnley,wheelchair tennis champion Dylan Alcott and Emmy Award-winning comedian Hannah Gadsby (who has autism) was a sign of positive change.
“We need to continue that momentum,” he said,saying many people with disabilities were afraid to be open with their bosses,making it hard to collect accurate data or ensure appropriate supports were in place.
“People will only declare they have disabilities to employers when they see at a micro level with a particular employer or at the macro level in the general community people with disabilities being included and accepted as part of the Australian community.”
Mr Innes also called for companies and public sector employers to tie disability employment targets to executive bonuses and for greater board representation,along with legislation compelling employers to report on how many people with disability they employed.