I have been reflecting on the importance of protecting the rights of people with disability as we approach World Day of Social Justice on 20 February. With so many discussions happening globally, including in the United States (US), many might wonder how secure these rights really are here in Australia. Disability rights should never be up for negotiation or debate, but this can get forgotten as political forces try to create division.
On his second day of office during his second term as President of the United States (US), Donald Trump signed an Executive Order called ‘Ending Illegal Discrimination And Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity’. This decision overturned a long-standing policy from 1965, known as the Executive Order 11246, which focused on promoting equal employment opportunities and affirmative action.
While Executive Order 11246 didn’t specifically address disability, it aimed to protect people from discrimination based on race, colour, religion, sex, or national origin. Protections for people with disability are outlined separately in Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
On the same day, the President also issued a memorandum titled ‘Keeping Americans Safe in Aviation.’ It stated that ‘illegal and discriminatory diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) hiring, including on the basis of race, sex, disability, or any other criteria other than the safety of airline passengers and overall job excellence, competency, and qualification, harms all Americans, who deserve to fly with confidence.’
Laws and policies play a big role in influencing the attitude of the public and the outcomes for any group that faces disadvantage or discrimination, including people with disability. Thankfully, Australia has strong bipartisan support for disability rights and employment. This commitment is reflected in our laws, such as Section 351 of the Fair Work Act 2009, which prohibits discrimination based on race, gender, disability, age, religion and many other factors. The Disability Discrimination Act 1992 further protects people with disability from being treated unfairly at work.
Programs like the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) and Disability Employment Services (DES) also aim to boost the social and economic participation of people with disability.
With such strong foundations, it’s unlikely that our leaders would ever strip away these protections or limit employment opportunities for people with disability. But we can’t take these rights for granted.
World Day of Social Justice is a global observance dedicated to advancing social justice by addressing challenges like poverty, exclusion, gender inequality, unemployment, human rights, and social protections.
Inclusion and social justice are rights for everyone, not privileges for some. Denying these rights to one group to benefit another is never acceptable. But as we’ve seen, political leaders can use divisive language to create fear and win votes.
In the movie of the moment, Wicked, the Wizard of Oz says, ‘the best way to bring folks together is to give them a real good enemy.’ This kind of thinking can lead to using people’s differences, such as race, ethnicity or disability, for political gain.
With the Australian Federal Election on the horizon, it’s more important than ever to stand up for inclusion and call out attempts to divide us. The US has shown us how quickly hard-won rights can be erased. Let’s ensure that never happens here.