An important means of both contributing to society and maintaining financial independence is through participation in paid employment. The extent to which individuals are able to participate in work can be substantially affected by physical, psychological or intellectual impairments. Some young people with severe disabilities may never be able to work. Responses to the effects of disabling conditions on a person's ability to work are many and varied.
Some people are able to adjust their work arrangements, for example by reducing their hours of work.
However, in recognition of the difficulties that many people face in getting jobs, government and community groups have developed a range of services to assist people with a disability in finding and maintaining employment. In recognising that many people cannot obtain paid employment due to their disability, the government also provides income support, the Disability Support Pension, as well as a range of benefits to those who meet the disability and income criteria. A disability is defined by the ABS as the presence of one or more of a number of listed limitations, restrictions or impairments which have lasted, or were likely to last, for six months or more. A handicap is a limitation or restriction in performing certain tasks associated with daily living in the areas of self care, mobility, verbal communication, schooling or employment. Severity of handicap is classified according to the level of difficulty people have, and the level of assistance they require in performing a range of tasks in the areas of self care, mobility and verbal communication.