MARY WOOLDRIDGE DROPS THE BALL ON DISABILITY EMPLOYMENT.

Victorians who live with various disabilities, gathered at the Melbourne office of
Australians for Disability and Diversity Employment (ADDE) INC, a national
disability employment lobby group, to express their deeply felt anger and
disappointment over what they say has been a complete lack of interest and
resultant poor performance from the Victorian Government over this states
worsening disability employment crises.

ADDE's spokesperson, Martin Stewart, said Victorians in general are let down
when people with disabilities are shut out from participation in its workforce. Mr.
Stewart, said people with disabilities, when offered an employment opportunity,
demonstrate a high capacity to perform and make a major contribution at any work
place, and therefore Victoria's economy.
Mr. Stewart, stated that in Minister Mary Wooldridge's own department, the
Victorian Department of Human Services (DHS), that instead of leading from the
front, as it should in employing people with disabilities, it has dragged it's
bureaucratic feet and fallen further behind.
ADDE's founding president, Peter Rickards, said that the last known and published
Victorian DHS employment participation statistics, issued in 2010, displayed an
appallingly low 2% of its work force were recorded as having a disability. Mr.
Rickards, further states that all indicators suggest that these already well below
national average participation figures have declined further under Mary
Wooldridge's control. He said this Department and Mary Wooldridge, as it's
Minister, has devalued, denied and rejected Victoria's very capable, willing and able
people with disabilities.
ADDE has placed on YouTube a video titled Employable or Not? You Decide. In this
highly charged production, three Australians, with varying disabilities, passionately
express their experience with the effects upon them of long term unemployment.
Employable or not? You decide, click below to watch ADDE video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rEw-89AdMEQ

For further interviews please contact ADDE's spokesperson.
Martin Stewart
Mobile 0425725171
Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Level 2, 247 Flinders Lane
Melbourne. Vic. 3000
www.adde.org.au