The Royal Commission heard further stories from people with disability as they tried – often with difficulty – to gain and keep work. A woman with Down syndrome spoke about her ambitions to become a banker. She is learning office skills at TAFE, and progressing through a social enterprise training program. Supports from her family and the NDIS will be vital to her success, her mother said.

Another woman spoke about deciding whether to disclose her scoliosis to various employers. Sometimes doing so meant the employer made adjustments; on one occasion her employer said she needed to undergo capacity assessments and might lose her job. Perversely, the significant travel allowance she received significantly reduced her carer’s payment.