Dylan Alcott says more needs to be done to get disabled people into the workforce

Dylan Alcott has reflected on the “bloody big team effort” involved in being Australian of the Year and what he wants to do next.

Outgoing Australian of the Year Dylan Alcott has spoken of his pride in the steps the nation has taken to improve the lives of people with a disability.

But the Victorian Paralympian, tennis great and commentator declared more still needs to be done to stop discrimination, raise awareness and get more disabled people into the workforce.

Alcott pointed to concrete changes made in his time as Australian of the Year such as full funding of the NDIS as “a bloody big team effort’’.

“Every single person I walk past on the street stops and says ‘G’day and congratulations’ and they want to listen and learn about disability,’’ he said.

“That’s the coolest part – the thirst to want to do better.

“I just want more and more people with a disability to have their voices amplified and their stories heard because they’ve got great things to contribute as well.

Outgoing Australian of the Year Dylan Alcott. Picture: Michael Klein

Alcott said his ambition to make RAT tests free for people with a disability, an increased visibility and voice for the disabled and job access had also been achieved.

“We released a job platform called The Field, where people with disability can connect with inclusive employers and get involved in that employment exchange,’’ he said.

“We were able to do some of that stuff and how good is that?

“But just the general, overarching goal of normalising disability and changing that perception, eliminating that negative stigma – it’s a big goal but I feel we’ve done that in some way.’’

But a greater representation for people with a disability in boardrooms, parliament, the media, schools and sporting fields was needed.

“I want to see greater representation everywhere – on our screens, in our workplaces, in our leadership positions, in our work places, on our sporting fields – absolutely everywhere,’’ he said.

Alcott says he is proud of helping normalise disability and eliminating that negative stigma. Picture: Michael Klein

“I just want more people with a disability to have more choice and control of their lives and do what they want to to, it is obviously going to take time but it is happening.’’

And the former world No. 1 quad wheelchair tennis player said there was still work to do to get more people with a disability into the workforce.

“We’ve got a staffing shortage I keep reading about but the participation rate of people with a disability hasn’t changed in 29 years,’’ he said.

“I know plenty of people with a disability who are ready to roll, ready to have a crack but we often get left out of that conversation because people think we can’t do anything and it’s just not true.

“It’s about changing that perception and it is happening.’’

Alcott, the first person with a visible disability to be made Australian of the Year, said many people had an “unconscious bias’’ and needed to “lift expectations of what you think people with a disability can do’’.

He said “people with invisible disabilities … often have it the hardest because they face that unconscious bias because people don’t immediately see a wheelchair or whatever.’’

And, after helping launch All Abilities Day at the Australia Open on Tuesday, he said his parting advice to Aussies on his last day as Australian of the Year was: “disability isn’t as scary as you might think’’.

“It’s not as hard to employ someone with a disability as you might think or if you want to ask someone with a disability on a date, it’s not going to be as weird as you think it might be,’’ he said.

“It’s about having that mainstream normalisation so more people with a disability have those opportunities but the tide is turning.’’