263Disability and inequality on the social determinants of health: data, data gaps, and policy implications

Abstract

Abstract Focus of Presentation People with disability experience inequality in relation to social determinants of health such as employment, education and housing. Under the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Australia must collect data to assess fulfilment of its Convention obligations and to identify and address barriers faced by people with disability in exercising their rights. The objective of our research was to determine the extent to which such data are currently available. Findings With input from people with disability, we developed a monitoring framework and indicators to measure inequalities between Australians with and without disability in relation to social determinants of health. National data sources that included a disability identifier were available to report on 73% of the 128 indicators. For example, in the domain ‘Employment’, national data were available for indicators of labour force status, long-term unemployment, leave entitlements, and employment in high-skill jobs. Data were not available for the following indicators: under-employment, access to job design modifications, and disability-related discrimination in the workplace. Conclusions/Implications It is currently not possible to quantify inequalities between Australians with and without disability, track change over time, or identify factors that can inform effective policy responses for indicators where we lack national data that include a disability identifier. Key messages Addressing data gaps, including by facilitating disability identification in existing data collections, is essential for tackling disability-related inequalities on social determinants of health and meeting our obligations under the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.