INCLUSION WITHOUT BORDERS
The best ideas in disability employment do not belong to one country, one system or one profession.
They come from many places. From frontline practice and lived experience. From policy reform, research, employer leadership and service innovation. The sector advances furthest when that knowledge is shared freely, tested honestly and turned into action.
The 2027 World Disability Employment Conference (WDEC) will bring that spirit to Brisbane: a city preparing to welcome the world for the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games, and a fitting host for a global conversation about accessibility, participation and inclusion. This will be hosted in partnership with the World Association of Supported Employment, building on previous conferences in Vancouver and Belfast.
Around the world, disability employment systems are grappling with the same fundamental questions. How do we fund sustainable services? How do we build and retain a skilled workforce? How do we support employers to create genuinely inclusive workplaces? How do we make sure policy and practice are shaped by the voices of people with disability?
No country has all the answers. WDEC 2027 will create the space to learn across borders, build international partnerships and generate insights the sector can use globally.
Hosted at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre from 17 to 19 March 2027, WDEC will be more than a conference program. It will be a meeting point for people committed to building stronger, fairer and more effective disability employment systems.
It will be a place to share what works, challenge what does not, and build the relationships needed to create a more inclusive world together.
WHO SHOULD ATTEND?
WDEC will welcome speakers and delegates from Australia and around the world.
It is for researchers, policymakers, employment consultants, practitioners, peak bodies, employers, advocates, funders and people with lived experience of disability.
It is also for people who want to connect across sectors and borders: to meet peers, exchange ideas, form partnerships and be part of a global network working to improve employment outcomes for people with disability.
If you work in, study, fund, shape, or are affected by disability employment systems, this conference is for you.
