ECU Inclusive Employability Officers, Denise Bertilone and Emma Lovegrove.
Edith Cowan University (ECU)'s Inclusive Employability Project team has been awarded the prestigious Accessibility in Action Award by the Australian Disability Clearinghouse on Education and Training (ADCET).
The ADCET Award honours outstanding contributions from individuals and collaborative teams that have substantially enhanced accessibility and championed inclusive methodologies across education and training environments.
Our University's Inclusive Employability Project is helmed by ECU's Inclusive Employability Officers, Emma Lovegrove and Denise Bertilone, Employability Team Lead, Professor Justin Brown, and Project Manager (Employability), Elle Beaumont-Bilsby, who developed and co-designed a suite of initiatives that support students with disability in their transition from study to employment.
Australian data, including recent QILT Graduate Outcomes Survey results, indicate that students with disability have lower rates of success transitioning into graduate employment when compared to other cohorts. The Inclusive Employability Project addresses this through holistic strategies that prioritise lived experiences whilst creating systemic change.
"People with disability can still face barriers and challenges in the employment market," said the Inclusive Employability Project team.
"Our inclusive employability resource is designed to raise awareness of these issues, but more importantly empower our students with disability through tools such as self-advocacy, so that they can navigate these barriers and challenges with confidence and enjoy a successful employment journey which will decrease their risk of economic and social marginalisation.
"We are proud to be awarded the Action in Accessibility Award. It is a recognition that our inclusive employability resource is meaningful for students with disability and will assist them with a more successful transition into graduate employment and with factors such as articulating and advocating for their needs in the workplace."
An annual celebration, the 2025 Accessibility in Action Awards honours the expanding dedication and passion for accessibility advancement and coincides with Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD).
Find out more about the 2025 Accessibility in Action Awards and ECU’s Inclusive Employability Project by emailing employabilityteam@ecu.edu.au or visit Empowering Students: Paving the Way to Inclusive Employability.
