In Australia, unemployed people and people with disabilities are two important groups in society who have suffered discrimination which in turn has affected their wellbeing. Wellbeing is the state of being healthy and happy. This can be enhanced when people lead healthy lives, have a strong sense of belonging within the community and have the ability to contribute to the community. The Australian government are driving initiatives that align with the 2030 United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 3: Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages (Dept of Health, 2017). Businesses also have a responsibility not to harm human health as a healthy population is more engaged, more productive and contributes to economic growth (WHO, 2018). Other individuals in the health sector, such as doctors and psychologists also have a part to play in improving the wellbeing of people who are unemployed or who have some form of disability.
To begin with, people who are unemployed are people who don’t have a job, do not have an income so can feel isolated in their community. The country's unemployment rate rose to 5.6 per cent in February on a seasonally adjusted basis, from 5.5 per cent in January, according to the Reserve Bank of Australia (2018). This equates to 700,000 people who have had their wellbeing adversely affected by unemployment. People are unemployed due to reasons such as; lack of education, laziness, no jobs available in their specialised area, lack of professional network, lack of experience, or a poor background as a result of a criminal record or non-favourable references from their previous employers. People are also discriminated because of their appearance, age, beliefs and their ethnicity.
As a consequence, the unemployed feel a lack of professional satisfaction and achievement which can ruin their self-esteem and self-worth. At its worst, this can result in poverty, homelessness, self-harm or even suicide. Hence, serious implications can exist for people who experience unemployment.
Moreover, there are solutions in order to resolve this unemployment issue. One of these solutions is to stop hiring people from overseas. For example, major firms across Australia are hiring professionals from overseas instead from locally. An example of this is Sydney Trains who on July 1st, 2013, hired many professionals from the London Underground to improve the public transport of Sydney and made many experienced workers of this local railway redundant (Scott, 2018). Another solution is that the government propose new infrastructure to construct new projects and provide free apprenticeships to the unemployed that cannot afford an apprenticeship or a degree. Therefore, these solutions may go some way to resolving Australia’s unemployment issue.
In addition, one in five Australians have some form of a disability. (Australian Network on Disability, 2018). A disability is a diminished capacity to either physically or mentally participate in normal everyday activities. Physical disabilities can range from partial to complete impairment and can include; genetic abnormalities, injuries sustained at work or at home, and those that develop in old age. The statistics show only 4.4% of people with a disability in Australia use a wheelchair, one in six Australians are affected by hearing loss (Australian Network on Disability, 2018) and Vision Australia (2018) estimates there are currently 357,000 people who are blind or have low vision. They project that the number of Australians who are blind or have low vision will grow to 564,000 by 2030. Mental disabilities include such things as anxiety, depression and Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome. These can stem from drug use, abuse, trauma or relationship issues. It is estimated that 45% of Australians will or have experienced a mental health condition during their lifetime (Australian Network on Disability, 2018). Similarly, 3 million Australians live with depression or anxiety. Hence, physical and mental disabilities are prevalent issues within our society that must be addressed.
There are many consequences of inequalities when it comes to people who have physical and mental disabilities. Some of the consequences include; poor health, poverty, homelessness, discrimination by others including employers, inability to work and earn an income, drug use, suicide, and self-harm. People who have some form of disability generally have both lower participation rates, 53% according to the last Census, and higher unemployment rates, currently 9.4% (RBA, 2018). By contrast, the participation rate and unemployment rate for people without a disability is 83% and 4.9% respectively. Australia’s employment rate for people with a disability is currently 46.6% (RBA, 2018) which is on par with other developed countries. Even so, this statistic needs to be improved further. Hence, job searching is problematic for people with disabilities as they often cannot undertake all of the required duties of a position, are restricted from participation in labouring jobs and also experience discrimination in obtaining any job at all.
There are many solutions to improve the job prospects and wellbeing of those who have mental and/or physical disabilities. These include; good, effective rehabilitation in order to prevent any further mental disorders and promote places like the Rough Edges Cafe in Darlinghurst, where people who are homeless, have mental or physical disorders are welcomed to a community with open arms. The government also needs to invest in more affordable care centres and organisations for people with disabilities, so they can achieve more within their limitations. Paid individuals and volunteers will be needed to look after them. This can improve our unemployment problem as there will more infrastructure required, and more carers will also be required in order for people with disabilities to have better well-being. Even a simple acknowledgement by others can boost wellbeing for those who suffer a disability. As such, there is a collective responsibility for every Australian to do their part.
In summary, people in Australia who suffer as a result of unemployment or from disabilities can experience adverse effects on their wellbeing such as depression, anxiety or loss of self-worth amongst other things. Positive steps can be taken by governments, organisations and individuals to make a positive difference to these groups of people. Solutions such as cracking down on hiring people from overseas, building more infrastructure and promoting labour will improve our unemployment issue and therefore improve their wellbeing. Solutions to improve the lives of those with a disability include the provision of care and psychological support services to foster a greater sense of belonging in the community. These solutions are aimed to fulfil Australia’s commitment to the UN Sustainable Development Goal 3 which is designed to promote for all people, strong healthy lives, a strong sense of belonging within the community and the ability to contribute to the community (Achieve Australia, 2018).