WORLD DISABILITY EMPLOYMENT CONFERENCE

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

The 2027 World Disability Employment Conference program will explore the issues shaping disability employment across systems, policy and practice.

Set in Brisbane as the city looks toward the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the program will connect global ambition with practical action. It will bring together people from different countries, disciplines and systems to ask what works, what needs to change, and what we can build together.

Across keynote sessions, panels, workshops and networking opportunities, WDEC 2027 will create space for shared learning, honest discussion and international collaboration.

CONFERENCE THEMES 2027

Building a globally capable disability employment workforce

How countries are developing the skills, leadership and organisational cultures needed to deliver quality, sustainable disability employment services, and what the sector can learn from different approaches.

Technology, innovation and the future of accessible work

How technology, accessibility and emerging innovation can create more inclusive opportunities in work, learning and community participation.

Employers, labour markets and economic inclusion

How employers across different national contexts are driving meaningful inclusion, from recruitment through to career progression, and what global labour market trends mean for people with disability.

Policy, systems change and rights-based approaches

How governments, advocates and people with disability are shaping policy reform, advancing rights-based frameworks and building the cross-sector systems needed for lasting inclusion.

Quality practice, co-design and outcomes that matter

What works for individuals, with a focus on quality support, co-design, mental health, belonging and the measurement of outcomes that matter to people.

WDEC 2027 will also focus on the relationships that make change possible. Delegates will have opportunities to meet international peers, build partnerships, exchange practical ideas and connect with others working to improve disability employment in their own communities.

The goal is not simply to compare systems. It is to learn from each other and build a more inclusive world together.