Ability Works Australia - 2025 Impact Report
Ability Works Australia - 2025 Impact Report
Message from the CEO
“In a year of purposeful transition, Ability Works has doubled down on what matters most, enabling people with disability to thrive. Whether through secure work, inclusive design, or evidence-based advocacy, we continue to prove that social impact and business excellence are not only compatible but mutually reinforcing.”
Sue Boyce, Chief Executive Officer
Who we are
Ability Works Australia is a social enterprise employing people with disability, disadvantage or other barriers to employment. Through supported employment, inclusive design services, and tailored programs in our Customised Employment business unit, we enable individuals to build skills, confidence, community, and independence, all while delivering high-quality products and services to clients across Australia.
Read more about our Social Mission and VisionContents
2025 Highlights
- 150 Employees or Customised Employment participants engaged across operations.
- 86 commercial customers served, including new partnerships in the public and utilities sectors.
- Inclusive Design revenue grew by 69% to include new employment-focused disability inclusion consulting and training services.
2025 Impact snapshot
Purpose and wellbeing
Based on a survey of 66 employees and 36 carers, the 2025 data shows strong and sustained impact:
| Impact Measure | Employees (Rating/5) | Carers (Rating/5) | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| Purpose | 4.45 | 4.42 | 4.31 |
| Pride | 4.37 | 4.50 | 4.31 |
| Belonging | 4.37 | 4.58 | 4.45 |
| Self-esteem | 4.20 | 4.31 | 4.24 |
| Self-confidence | 4.33 | 4.22 | 4.33 |
| Mental health | 4.15 | 3.92 | 3.95 |
| Social isolation | 4.19 | 3.89 | 4.05 |
| Skill development | 4.20 | 3.98 | 4.05 |
Comparison with 2024: Results are stable or improved across most categories, with notable gains in Belonging and Purpose. Social isolation saw strong improvements among employees.
Supported Employment and Social Enterprise
- 92% of supported employees report feeling a sense of purpose in their work.
- New partnerships enabled a 20% increase in supported employment hours.
Customised Employment service
- Over the past 27 months, our Customised Employment service has grown into a dedicated team of eight accredited professionals, supporting 40 individuals in discovering their strengths, interests, and ideal conditions for employment. During this period, 18 individuals have successfully secured meaningful employment in mainstream workplaces.
Inclusive Design consultancy services
- Engaged 88 Ability Works employees and external participants in user research and co-design projects in the fiscal year 2024-2025.
- Delivered our first Financial Wellbeing and Building Digital Skills training for employees through our partnership with WhiteBox Enterprises and Be Connected funding respectively.
- Delivered our first Workplace accessibility and inclusion assessments for 2 external clients.
- Developed 2 new disability inclusion micro-credential courses to build disability team confidence and competence in organisations seeking to employ people with disabilities.
- 34 people across 4 organisations participated in co-design disability inclusion training.
Stories of Impact
“I used to feel isolated. Now, I come to work and feel like I’m part of something big.”
– Ability Works Employee, 2025 Survey
“The positive impact on our son’s confidence and independence has been incredible.”
– Parent of a supported employee, 2025 Carer Survey
Our Voice in the Sector
- Featured speaker at the NDS Disability at Work Conference, Jun 2024.
- Social Traders, Business for Good Gamechanger Vic/Tas award, Jun 2024
- Finalist, Digital Innovation, Third Sector Awards, Sep 2024
- Financial Wellbeing training developed by White Box Enterprises enhanced by Ability Works to increase accessibility and inclusion, Oct 2024
- Ability Works Dandenong Research – was presented as a case study by RMIT Uni at a recent conference on Social Work and Sustainability at Adelphi University School of Social Work NYC: 4th Annual Social Work and Ecological Justice Conference https://www.adelphi.edu/events/4th-annual-social-work-and-ecological-justice-conference/ at the United Nations through the High-Level Political Forum as an example of community partnerships and co-creation.
- Payment by Outcomes (PBO) Trial – was a groundbreaking initiative designed to measure the effectiveness of jobs-focused social enterprises in creating meaningful, sustainable employment for people facing significant barriers to work. The trial, which Ability Works proudly participated in, tracked employment outcomes for individuals who had been out of work for at least nine of the previous 12 months. The results, now nearly two years into the trial, are compelling. Social enterprises like ours have proven to be significantly more effective than traditional models, such as Disability Employment Services (DES), in achieving long-term employment outcomes. Key findings highlight better retention rates, higher individual earnings, and substantial cost savings to government programs.
- Work Integration Social Enterprise (WISE) Ability Model – Ability Works was one of the participating social enterprises. The model is cited as one of the evidence-based models for supporting the employment of people with high support needs.
- Finalist in Rail Industry Awards: Ability Works Inclusive Design Business was a finalist in the Rail Industry Awards with Alstom, Dept of Transport and Capire for the Rail Innovation of the Year Award.
- Inclusive Design News:
- Channel 9 Sunday night news ran a segment on a couple of Ability Works employees contributing to Melbourne becoming a more inclusive and accessible city.
- Segment on Network 10 national news on a Sunday night, discussing our new collaboration with an organisation called Big Plans. Big Plans offers scale projection technology that can reproduce real size floor plans, taking the guesswork out for our employees, especially when a facility is not yet built.
Thank you
To our employees, partners, customers, carers, funders, and friends. Thank you for continuing to walk this path with us. Together, we are reshaping what employment and inclusion can look like.