BuyAbility: Resources on Supported Employment

Building a more inclusive Australia through employment for people with disability

We are not-for-profit organisations aiming to build a more inclusive and equitable society. We operate businesses with a unique difference – we employ people with disability and support them in their work. We promote skill-building opportunities and career pathways for our employees. We produce high-quality products and services. We are committed to measuring our social and economic impact to Australia.

We are the BuyAbility network.

What is BuyAbility?

BuyAbility is an initiative of NDS to promote and secure a thriving supported employment sector – one that produces high-quality products and services and meaningful employment and training opportunities for people with disability.

It has a dual focus. The BuyAbility Campaign is NDS’s communications campaign to raise awareness of supported employment amongst Parliamentarians and the general public and promote supported employment as a good and valid work choice for people with disability.

BuyAbility Procurement is NDS’s contract management service that connects public and private sector buyers to Australian Disability Enterprises resulting in socially responsible purchasing.

BuyAbility’s aims:

1. Promote Australian Disability Enterprises
2. Increase supported employment in NDIS plans
3. Attract more public and private sector buyers to the network
4. Make supported employment visible

What is supported employment?

Australian Disability Enterprises employ people with disability in a supported working environment. They employ more than 20,500 Australians with varying degrees of disability who require support to work.

Employees work in a diverse range of roles from gardeners to store people, screen printers to recyclers, cooks and many more.

Employees are supported to work, develop new skills and participate in their communities. Many find the training provided in these enterprises supports them to transition into to open employment.

Most Australian Disability Enterprises are non-profit organisations. They are social enterprises providing services or products and invest the profits into social outcomes.

What have we launched?

We BuyAbility

We BuyAbility is the brand for our buyers – public and private sector procurers.

The brand recognises a purchasing choice that is both commercially sound and socially responsible.

I Want to Work

Working improves your health and happiness, and is a great place to make friends.

These resources are for people with disability who want to see what supported employment has to offer them.

We can connect you to Australian Disability Enterprises and chat with you about getting supported employment in your NDIS plan.

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