Corene Strauss, CEO of Australian Disability Network, is retiring at the end of this year and while there is still much to do, she’s proud of the impact she has been able to have.
Although she’s spent the last three and a half years at AusDN, she’s been part of the disability sector for much longer, including a stint as CEO at Special Olympics. Her varied and busy career has yielded many moments of pride – including watching the way AusDN has grown and how it has led the way in inclusion for people with disability, being voted the second-best place to work in Australia in the 2023 AFR BOSS Best Places to Work list.
Strauss was also pleased to see AusDN pick up the Directing Change Scholarship Award for increasing representation of people with disability on boards, an effort she describes as “a game changer”.
“The fact that we introduced this initiative to increase the representation of people with disability on boards is really important because as people with disabilities say, you can’t be who you can’t see,” she said, adding that the move would also encourage businesses to do better in including people with disability at the highest levels of their organisation.
Under Strauss’ watch, AusDN has also begun producing its own research into disability, beginning with a report on workplace adjustments earlier this year. And there is plenty more in the pipeline, she said.
Future of disability in Australia
Strauss is leaving the sector at an interesting time, with the Federal government working through policy changes following the NDIS Review and Disability Royal Commission.
She said she has noticed a “significant increase in disability awareness, and an intention to do better” in the wider community.
But, she added, we’re not there yet.
“The intent is definitely there, and the awareness, but I think the confidence has not shifted. People are still fearful around how they approach [disability inclusion],” she mused.
Strauss believes there are two reasons for this: the first is the current economic headwinds which are forcing businesses to reprioritise, often at the expense of inclusion. The second is that some organisations and businesses are scared to jump in, in case they get it wrong and face criticism for their mistakes.
She believes we need to bring people along on the inclusion journey “by honey, not by vinegar”.
AusDN is doing its part in this with the launch of a campaign around International Day of People with Disability, called Choose Inclusion.
“I cannot believe the response we’ve had to it. We are completely blown away by people who are not just members, who have reached out to use for more information,” Strauss said.
As the nation gears up for another Federal election, Strauss said it’s time for the government to step up and set targets for disability employment, and encourage employers to do the same.
Without targets, she said, the success of inclusion measures can’t be monitored or measured. She suggests a target of about 15 per cent, but added that AusDN members say they’re sitting at about three per cent. This is compared to the proportion of Australians with a disability – around 20 per cent.
It’s a big jump, to go from three per cent to 15, and Strauss acknowledged that it would take a concerted effort to get there. Increasing employer confidence in hiring people with disability is going to be a focus for AusDN heading into the new year. The organisation will work with employers to ensure they are fully engaged in the inclusion process, which will flow from leadership, through employees and on to customers, clients and audiences to help create a more accessible and inclusive community more widely.
“It really speaks to the importance of leadership. Leaders, put disability access and inclusion on your agenda at least every quarter and ask the question, what are we doing to make our organisation more accessible and more inclusive for people with disability? Because you’re not just excluding employees, but you’re excluding customers as well. And you need to represent the community in which you serve,” Strauss said.
Lessons in leadership
Reflecting on her career in the sector, Strauss said her biggest lesson has been when in doubt, always ask the person with disability – because every disability is different.
“We ask for dietary requirements. Why don’t we ask for adjustments? That is how we build our confidence,” she said.
She hopes that when she looks back in years to come, she’ll see that the sector has made progress.
“I would love to see, when I look back, that the representation of people with disability in leadership roles has increased, and that there are more leaders with disability on boards and in the C-suite and management. That would be amazing, because that means that they have come on the journey, the employers have come on a journey, and they have been given the opportunity that they deserve.”
Strauss will continue as a director on the board of Invictus Australia and will also continue her mentoring work.