EQUITY & DIVERSITY ANNUAL REPORT – 2006

Section 3.6: People with Disabilities

Representation at RBA

The number of staff who have identified as having a disability remains at 8 per cent in 2006. The national figure for people with disability in the workplace is currently 17 per cent; 12 per cent of this national figure are employed by organisations who made special arrangements to accommodate people with disability in the workplace.

Disability Initiatives: Workplace Diversity Plan
2006–2008

The Bank’s Workplace Diversity Plan 2006–2008 differs from previous plans, in that it incorporates initiatives previously embodied in a separate Disability Action Plan. Nevertheless, the initiatives continue to draw on the principles that underpin the Commonwealth Disability Strategy.

A review of the Commonwealth Disability Strategy was commenced in 2005. This government initiative is part of a ten year plan under which Commonwealth agencies develop Disability Action Plans in alignment with the Disability Discrimination Act 1992. At this time, a new Commonwealth strategy has not been developed. However, the Bank intends to review the disability initiatives in its plan once the strategy is released.

People with disabilities is one of the key diversity areas around which the new Workplace Diversity Plan 2006–2008 is built. The other areas are gender, work/life balance, Indigenous Australians, race-ethnicity and mature workforce. Two groups – the Disability Action Plan Consultative Group (DAPCG) and the Systems Accessibility Technical Group (SATG) – meet quarterly to monitor the implementation of the Plan in respect of disability initiatives and assistive technology. The Plan and the related initiatives are listed in Appendix 4.2.

Membership of Employer Disability Group

The RBA continues to be a member of a not-for-profit employer disability group ‘Employers Making a Difference’ (EMAD). The membership provides the RBA with a strategic business partner to assist in the development of disability initiatives as well as an additional resource for staff.

Awareness

Training & Development

The RBA sources suitably experienced external providers to assist with its annual disability awareness program. The Bank is currently working with ‘People with Disability’ to develop awareness programs for frontline customer service and facilities staff as a proposed area of focus in 2006/07. More information will be available in the next reporting period.

Brochure: Supporting Staff with Disabilities

In 2006, the disability awareness brochure Supporting Staff with Disabilities was updated in keeping with the new Workplace Diversity Plan 2006–2008. The brochure was distributed to all staff and is available on the Bank’s intranet site. All new starters will also receive the brochure as part of their induction.

International Day of People with a DisAbility

The RBA once again celebrated International Day of People with a DisAbility on 3 December. Information about the meaning of the day was provided via the intranet and the staff magazine Currency. Displays and information leaflets were also placed in the staff café.

Access

Work is continuing on a new data centre in basement level 2. This project is compliant with the Building Code of Australia and Disability Discrimination Act requirements and includes access ramps to the data centre and its ‘flight deck’. During the next reporting period an investigation of the feasibility of improving access to the lift lobby will be explored.

Assistive Technologies

Assistive technology is a general term for specialised hardware and software designed for use by people with disabilities who are normally unable to use standard PCs either permanently or for a period of time. The Bank is currently establishing a facility or ‘test lab’ to test systems for compatibility with assistive technology. The test lab will accommodate the more commonly used assistive technologies. This not only ensures compatibility of the Bank’s systems with assistive technology but encourages RBA’s own system developers to become familiar with assistive technology. To raise awareness of the test lab, staff have been surveyed about their knowledge of assistive technology and encouraged to identify whether they require the use of such technology.

The Bank has also introduced a new Computer Based Training course which offers a wide range of accessibility topics and again enables the Bank’s own developers to expand their skills in catering for different levels of system accessibility.