Policy Priority: Key sector attitudes to people with disability
This policy priority aims to ensure there is an improved understanding of disability by workers in key professions, with whom people with disability often interact, which will increase access to, and the quality of, the services and supports needed by people with disability.
Training and professional development, together with improvements to legislation, regulation, workplace structures, policies and culture, play a crucial role in developing occupational and workplace attitudes and behaviours towards people with disability (Australian Council of Learned Academies 2024).
The purpose of this policy priority is to support, encourage and promote positive attitudes about people with disability across the key sector areas education, health, personal and community supports, and legal and judicial interactions. There are 4 measures under this policy priority.
- Educator attitudes (updated)
- Health worker attitudes (updated)
- Personal and community support worker attitudes (updated)
- Justice and legal worker attitudes (updated).
Updated measures are discussed below.
Things to consider:
- The measures of key sector attitudes are based on 6 questions about workers’ confidence in responding positively to and ability to advise, assist or treat people with disability. For each respondent, attitude and confidence is measured as the average rate of positive responses to the 6 questions, recognising that individual attitudes are a continuum.
- For further details on the 6 questions used to measure key sector attitudes to people with disability, see Data Dictionary: Community attitudes.
Measure: Educator attitudes
Full name – Educators are disability confident and respond positively to people with disability
Educators are defined as people aged 18 and over who are employed in the education sector (including childcare, preschools, primary, secondary, and special schools, technical and vocational education, universities and other higher education institutions, adult education, and community education).
The measure looks at the proportion of educator responses that were positive about being disability confident and responding positively to people with disability.
Educator attitudes
Latest update: 63% (2024)
Baseline: 63% (2022)
Progress status: No change
In 2024:
- female educators (66%) reported being more disability confident and more likely to respond positively to people with disability than male educators (57%)
- culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) educators (50%) were generally less disability confident and less likely to respond positively to people with disability than those from non-CALD backgrounds (70%)
- those who were either paid carers (80%) or both paid and unpaid carers (78%) for someone with disability were more disability confident and more likely to respond positively to people with disability than those who were unpaid carers only (65%) or not a carer at all (60%)
- people who currently (72%) or had previously (68%) lived with a person with disability were more disability confident and more likely to respond positively to people with disability than people who have never lived with a person with disability (61%).
Figure 8.2: Proportion of responses from educators (aged 18 and over) that were disability confident and responded positively to people with disability, 2022 to 2024
The data in the graph and the table below show the proportion of responses from educators (aged 18 and over) that were positive on being disability confident and responding positively to people with disability. Data from 2022 to 2024 are used. In both 2024 and 2022, 63% of educator responses were positive.
| Year | % of educator responses that are positive | 95% Confidence Interval |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 63% | (60.8%–65.5%) |
| 2024 | 63% | (61.0%–65.4%) |
Notes:
- Restricted to people aged 18 and over who were employed in the education industry at the time of interview.
- Educator attitudes to people with disability are calculated based on 6 questions about the confidence in responding positively to people with disability and the ability to advise, assist or treat people with disability. The measure is presented as a proportion of responses that are positive. Respondents who had non-valid responses to more than 2 questions are excluded from the calculation.
Sources:
- DHDA (Department of Health, Disability and Ageing) 2025. Australia's Disability Strategy Survey – Share with us 2024, DHDA, AIHW analysis of unit record data, accessed 17 March 2025.
- DSS (Department of Social Services) 2023. Australia's Disability Strategy Survey – Share with us 2022, DSS, DSS and AIHW analysis of detailed unit record data, accessed 24 July 2023.
Source:
Australia's Disability Strategy Survey – Share with us
|
Data source overview
For figure notes, see Appendix B: Figure notes and sources.
Measure: Health worker attitudes
Full name – Health workers are disability confident and respond positively to people with disability
Health workers are defined as people aged 18 and over who are employed in the health care sector. This included people employed in hospitals, pathology, medical imaging, paramedics or allied and other health services (such as physiotherapy, homeopathy, psychology) or employed as doctors, dentists, and optometrists.
Health worker attitudes
Latest update: 71% (2024)
Baseline: 71% (2022)
Progress status: No change
In 2024:
- culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) health workers (62%) were less disability confident and positive than those with a non-CALD background (75%)
- health workers who had disability (76%) themselves were more disability confident and less positive than those who did not have disability (69%)
- health workers who had a partner (80%), close friend (78%), or teacher/lecturer (78%) with disability were generally more positive and confident than those who had no personal connection to someone with disability (64%).
Figure 8.3: Proportion of responses from health workers (aged 18 and over) that were disability confident and responded positively to people with disability, 2022 to 2024
The data in the graph and the table below show the proportion of responses from health workers (aged 18 and over) that were positive on being disability confident and responding positively to people with disability. Data from 2022 to 2024 are used. In both 2024 and 2022, 71% of health worker responses were positive.
| Year | % of health workers responses that are positive | 95% Confidence Interval |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 71% | (68.6%–73.2%) |
| 2024 | 71% | (68.6%–73.0%) |
Notes:
- Restricted to people aged 18 and over who were employed in the health industry at the time of interview.
- Health professionals attitudes to people with disability are calculated based on 6 questions about the confidence in responding positively to people with disability and the ability to advise, assist or treat people with disability. The measure is presented as a proportion of responses that are positive. Respondents who had non-valid responses to more than 2 questions are excluded from the calculation.
Sources:
- DHDA (Department of Health, Disability and Ageing) 2025. Australia's Disability Strategy Survey – Share with us 2024, DHDA, AIHW analysis of unit record data, accessed 17 March 2025.
- DSS (Department of Social Services) 2023. Australia's Disability Strategy Survey – Share with us 2022, DSS, DSS and AIHW analysis of detailed unit record data, accessed 24 July 2023.
Source:
Australia's Disability Strategy Survey – Share with us
|
Data source overview
For figure notes, see Appendix B: Figure notes and sources.
Measure: Personal and community support worker attitudes
Personal and community support workers are defined as people aged 18 and over who are employed in the residential care (including aged care, hospices, crisis care, group homes) or social and community services sector (including adult day services, disability assistance services, youth welfare, and family support and counselling).
Personal and community support worker attitudes
Latest update: 77% (2024)
Baseline: 79% (2022)
Progress status: No change
In 2024:
- non-CALD personal and community support workers (82%) were more disability confident and positive than those from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds (69%)
- workers who were either both paid and unpaid carers (82%) or paid carers only (80%) were more disability confident and positive than those who were not carers (70%)
- workers who had a personal connection to someone with disability (such as having a family member, friend, co-worker, teacher or classmate with disability) (79%) were more disability confident and positive than those who had no personal connection (70%).
Figure 8.4: Proportion of responses from personal and community support workers (aged 18 and over) that were disability confident and responded positively to people with disability, 2022 to 2024
The data in the graph and the table below show the proportion of responses from personal and community support workers (aged 18 and over) that were positive on being disability confident and responding positively to people with disability. Data from 2022 to 2024 are used. In 2024, 77% of personal and community support worker responses were positive, compared with 79% in 2022.
| Year | % of support workers responses that are positive | 95% Confidence Interval |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 79% | (76.2%–81.3%) |
| 2024 | 77% | (74.3%–79.5%) |
Notes:
- Restricted to people aged 18 and over who were employed in residential care or social or community support sector at the time of interview.
- Personal and community support workers attitudes to people with disability are calculated based on 6 questions about the confidence in responding positively to people with disability and the ability to advise, assist or treat people with disability. The measure is presented as a proportion of responses that are positive. Respondents who had non-valid responses to more than 2 questions are excluded from the calculation.
Sources:
- DHDA (Department of Health, Disability and Ageing) 2025. Australia's Disability Strategy Survey – Share with us 2024, DHDA, AIHW analysis of unit record data, accessed 17 March 2025.
- DSS (Department of Social Services) 2023. Australia's Disability Strategy Survey – Share with us 2022, DSS, DSS and AIHW analysis of detailed unit record data, accessed 24 July 2023.
Source:
Australia's Disability Strategy Survey – Share with us
|
Data source overview
For figure notes, see Appendix B: Figure notes and sources.
Measure: Justice and legal worker attitudes
Full name – Justice and legal workers are disability confident and respond positively to people with disability
Justice and legal workers are defined as people aged 18 and over who are employed in the legal services (including barristers and solicitors, conveyancing, legal aid, courts) or public order and safety sector (including police, gaols, correctional centres, juvenile detention, remand centres).
Justice and legal worker attitudes
Latest update: 68% (2024)
Baseline: 66% (2022)
Progress status: No change
In 2024:
- justice and legal workers in greater capital cities (66%) were generally less disability confident and positive than those in the rest of state or territory locations (77%)
- workers whose highest education level was a Certificate/Diploma (81%) were more disability confident and positive than those with a Bachelor Degree or higher (61%).
Figure 8.5: Proportion of responses from justice and legal workers (aged 18 and over) that were disability confident and responded positively to people with disability, 2022 to 2024
The data in the graph and the table below show the proportion of responses from justice and legal workers (aged 18 and over) that were positive on being disability confident and responding positively to people with disability. Data from 2022 to 2024 are used. In 2024, 68% of justice and legal worker responses were positive, compared with 66% in 2022.
| Year | % of legal/justice workers responses that are positive | 95% Confidence Interval |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 66% | (60.8%–70.5%) |
| 2024 | 68% | (63.5%–73.3%) |
Notes:
- Restricted to people aged 18 and over who were employed in the legal services sector or public order and safety sector at the time of interview.
- Justice and legal sector workers attitudes to people with disability are calculated based on 6 questions about the confidence in responding positively to people with disability and the ability to advise, assist or treat people with disability. The measure is presented as a proportion of responses that are positive. Respondents who had non-valid responses to more than 2 questions are excluded from the calculation.
Sources:
- DHDA (Department of Health, Disability and Ageing) 2025. Australia's Disability Strategy Survey – Share with us 2024, DHDA, AIHW analysis of unit record data, accessed 17 March 2025.
- DSS (Department of Social Services) 2023. Australia's Disability Strategy Survey – Share with us 2022, DSS, DSS and AIHW analysis of detailed unit record data, accessed 24 July 2023.
Source:
Australia's Disability Strategy Survey – Share with us
|
Data source overview
For figure notes, see Appendix B: Figure notes and sources.
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