This page contains downloads, actions and a summary of the Burnet Disability Plan. The plan demonstrates our commitment to improving our workplace and culture for people with disability.

Disability Plan 2024-2027 summary  

The Disability Plan 2024-2027 is known within our organisation as our disability action plan (DAP).

Burnet’s definition of disability 

Disability is part of human diversity. Burnet accepts the social model of disability. We recognise that social and environmental factors are the primary causes of disability rather than individual impairments. 

We understand that efforts to promote inclusivity for all, including individuals with disability, can have positive effects on a wide range of people.  

We also recognise the experience of disability that can be shared by family members and carers of people with disability.

Development 

In 2021, we established the Disability Inclusion Committee as a subcommittee of our Gender Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee. In late 2022, the Disability Inclusion Committee asked the Australian Disability Network for support to develop our DAP.  

The Disability Inclusion Committee assembled a Steering Group to oversee the development of the DAP.  

The Steering Group is drawn from departments and disciplines across Burnet Institute. There are representatives from Occupational Health and Safety (OHS), Facilities, Information Technology (IT), Marketing and Communication, People, discipline heads and country representatives from Papua New Guinea and Myanmar.  

Governance and reporting 

We will make sure the DAP has sufficient resources. Stakeholders will work together to develop and execute operational plans that align with the DAP and our objectives. 

Accountability 

Oversight of this DAP’s implementation rests with the Deputy Director, Gender Equity, Diversity and Inclusion. They work with the Disability Inclusion Committee, the Chief People Officer and the Diversity and Inclusion Manager. 

Progress reports 

Stakeholders share progress reports with the Disability Inclusion Committee through our Steering Group.  

Half-yearly reports will be submitted to the Executive team and annual reports will be submitted to the Board and the wider Institute. 

Actions we will complete between 2024 and 2027

Actions are divided into 6 sections: 

• Governance framework targets 
• Workplace culture targets 
• Research and development work targets
• Advocacy and communication targets
• Burnet Myanmar targets
• Burnet Papua New Guinea targets.

Governance framework targets

• 1.1 Obtain formal approval and public endorsement for the DAP from the Executive team and the Board.
• 1.2 Register this DAP with the Human Rights Commission.
• 1.3 Scope the resourcing of this DAP to ensure consistency in implementation and create a dedicated budget.
• 1.4 Continuously involve essential stakeholders in action plan development and implementation.
• 1.5 Publish a report detailing progress to implement actions from the DAP at least once a year.
• 1.6 Ensure staff and students are aware of and understand changes to policies, processes and procedures.
• 1.7 Ensure that research and development work, advocacy and communication progress within this DAP aligns with Burnet’s quality assurance initiatives.
• 1.8 Create an advisory group made up of people with lived experience of disability. Consult regularly with the group on disability inclusive initiatives.
• 1.9 Appoint a person with lived experience of disability as chair of the Disability Inclusion Committee. Increase representation on the committee of members with lived experience of disability.
• 1.10 Develop a forum or channel for those with lived experience of disability to share their experiences and help shape Burnet’s disability and inclusion progress.

Workplace Culture targets

• 2.1 Establish a method for monitoring the Board’s diversity, including disability representation. 
• 2.2 Request regular and comprehensive reporting on the progress of our DAP.  
• 2.3 Establish a method for monitoring the Executive team’s diversity, including disability representation. 
• 2.4 Formulate and endorse a disability definition that serves as the basis for Burnet’s disability inclusion strategy. 
• 2.5 Review practices, policies and governance in relation to disability inclusion. 
• 2.6 Review the current Disability Inclusion Policy and ensure it aligns with Burnet’s 2023 Gender Equality Policy pillars. 
• 2.7 Establish measurement and reporting mechanisms for assessing impact of this DAP. 
• 2.8 Assess the need for a new position to support gender equality, diversity, and social inclusion in research and development work. 
• 2.9 Research and identify best practices for integrating accessibility and universal design as mandatory criteria for products and services in our procurement policy. 
• 2.10 Establish and share a list of preferred suppliers who meet accessibility, universal design and recruitment standards. 
• 2.11 Develop mechanisms within the procurement process to actively gather staff feedback on accessibility challenges. Use this feedback to inform future policies and purchasing practices.  
• 2.12 Review accessibility of online recruitment platforms to identify possible improvements.  
• 2.13 Assess the candidate experience and create an extensive list of best-practice enhancements to accommodate and assist at every phase of the recruitment cycle, including advertising, screening, interviews, assessments and selection. 
• 2.14 Complete Australian Disability Network’s Confident Recruitment modules. Review steps involved to achieve Disability Confident Recruiter organisational status. 
• 2.15 Collect more comprehensive candidate data on disability to inform future actions. 
• 2.16 Develop a formal commitment to include staff with disability in career development and retention strategies. 
• 2.17 Ensure that leaders and managers understand and support their people, including through:  
  • proficiency in evaluating roles to better accommodate people with disability 
  • attunement to people’s needs 
  • facilitating connections to workplace adjustments, staff support programs and other resources 
  • regularly offering and promoting disability inclusion learning opportunities.  
• 2.18 Negotiate funding to support internship programs and mentoring opportunities for students and jobseekers with disability.   
• 2.19 Review and implement guidelines to ensure learning and development programs and activities are accessible in appropriate formats, including online and written materials, workshops, and external suppliers. 
• 2.20 Review current professional development awards to identify gaps or opportunities to improve opportunities for people with disability. 
• 2.21 Develop, seek approval for and implement a workplace adjustment policy and procedure.  
• 2.22 Become acquainted with JobAccess and its services, discern the benefits for Burnet and proactively share this knowledge in an appropriate manner. 
• 2.23 Provide concise resources and tools for staff and managers to guide discussions about required adjustments. 
• 2.24 Develop a feedback mechanism, including de-identified options, for staff to share their experiences and feedback on requesting and accessing workplace adjustments to help identify areas for improvement. 
• 2.25 Create a user-friendly disability inclusion intranet page with information and resources for people with disability and managers that covers diverse aspects of disability inclusion in our work and research. Ensure it includes resources, guidance and success stories demonstrating our advancements in disability inclusion.   
• 2.26 Share success stories and case studies of staff who have benefited from adjustments. 
• 2.27 Audit all sites for accessibility and commit to remediation.
• 2.28 Ensure that concerns regarding accessibility for facilities are considered in the building plans and equipment for the new Australian Institute for Infectious Disease. 
• 2.29 Include Personal Emergency Evacuation Procedures (PEEPs) in standard induction packs for new staff as part of the onboarding process. 
• 2.30 Collaborate with emergency wardens to ensure they thoroughly comprehend their responsibilities regarding PEEPs. 
• 2.31 Set up a clear stage-based consultation process that defines roles as a vital part of our physical environment adjustments. 
• 2.32 Discover and review existing industry standards and training for IT on disability inclusion and determine next steps. 
• 2.33 Assess existing IT software. 
• 2.34 Incorporate a process for evaluating disability inclusion when acquiring new software.  
• 2.35 Publish key information about disability inclusion and software, including a method for people to request support or share feedback.  
• 2.36 Develop and implement an inclusive language guide. Make it a key component of the revision of Burnet's existing communication guidelines. 
• 2.37 Conduct an accessibility review of the Burnet website. 
• 2.38 Conduct an inclusive language audit of the Burnet website, including plain language, to identify areas for improvement.   
• 2.39 Incorporate alt text in all social media posts containing images. 
• 2.40 Incorporate closed captions in the development of videos where appropriate.  
• 2.41 Maintain the use of accessible visual treatments for external and internal communication in line with Burnet’s Brand Guidelines. 
• 2.42 Establish an efficient process for gathering information about student adjustment needs and necessary support before their start date.
• 2.43 Develop a welcome kit for new students that considers disability inclusion.   
• 2.44 Create a comprehensive resource outlining how to best support students with disability. 
• 2.45 Develop comprehensive academic adjustment plan guidelines, incorporating specific eligibility criteria for students.  
• 2.46 Assess the curriculum and assessment methods, generating a comprehensive list of enhancements to strengthen support systems for students throughout their academic journey. 

Research and Development Work targets

• 3.1 Formalise commitment to the design and delivery of accessible, inclusive research projects and development work.
• 3.2 Conduct a comprehensive staff needs assessment that considers Australian Council for International Development, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and National Health and Medical Research Council criteria and challenges related to integrating disability. Identify resources, tools and staffing, funding and training requirements for disability inclusion in research and development work. 
• 3.3 Develop a training program addressing staff needs and identified barriers to integrating disability.  
• 3.4 Implement the tailored training program addressing staff needs and identified barriers integrating disability.  
• 3.5 Develop guidance on disability-inclusive data collection, including the Washington Group Short Set questions and other major methodologies.   
• 3.6 Undertake a comprehensive review of the detailed international development manual encompassing fieldwork activities. Facilitate a collaborative co-design process that welcomes input from people with disability and experienced staff in the relevant field. 
• 3.7 Create a centralised repository for storing local, contextual information about disability inclusion and relevant organisations from the countries where Burnet operates.  
• 3.8 Conduct a basic scoping exercise to identify existing resources, guidelines and training relating to disability inclusion in life sciences research.     

Advocacy and Communication targets

• 4.1 Develop internal strategies for disability-related awareness campaigns, including promoting the work of disability-related programs and projects.  
• 4.2 Integrate disability inclusion into existing risk management templates for project and research work. 
• 4.3 Share stories and successes from our work relating to disability inclusion with the Marketing and Communication team for internal and external audiences.   
• 4.4 Establish a comprehensive map of partnership networks with disability inclusion organisations across Australia, Myanmar, Papua New Guinea and any other relevant contexts. 
• 4.5 Identify and share funding opportunities that encompass mainstreaming disability inclusion into broader initiatives or specifically benefit people with disability. 

Burnet Myanmar targets 

• 5.1 Explore comparable actions for Burnet Myanmar to those already listed under the ‘Workplace culture’ section (actions 2.1 to 2.46). 
• 5.2 Recruit a disability inclusion position for Burnet Myanmar. 
• 5.3 Identify training needs and develop a training plan that begins with integrating inclusive language in the workplace.   
• 5.4 Ensure that every existing and new staff member receives and complies with disability inclusion training. 
• 5.5 Audit sites for accessibility and commit to remediation, including workplace adjustment for staff and stakeholders. 
• 5.6 Establish a staff voice committee to facilitate consistent communication with disability inclusion groups at Burnet. Australia and Burnet Papua New Guinea.  
• 5.7 Develop inclusive project design frameworks. 
• 5.8 Develop inclusive data collection protocols, including the Washington Group Short Set questions. 
• 5.9 Identify training needs and develop a training plan for disability inclusion. 
• 5.10 Develop and deliver a diversity and inclusion toolkit. 
• 5.11 Build in project feedback mechanisms that include questions on disability and accessibility. 
• 5.12 Use Burnet’s central repository, as detailed in this DAP, to store country-specific data, including disability training resources and local disability organisations. 

Burnet Papua New Guinea targets 

• 6.1 Recruit a dedicated disability inclusion position at Burnet Papua New Guinea. 
• 6.2 Identify training needs and create a training strategy that begins with incorporating inclusive language in the workplace, considering language variations between provinces.  
• 6.3 Audit sites for accessibility and commit to remediation, including workplace adjustments. 
• 6.4 Establish accessible training and conference locations and look at partnerships with those venues. 
• 6.5 Establish Papua New Guinea representation in Burnet’s Lived Experience Advisory Group.   
• 6.6 Develop inclusive project design frameworks. 
• 6.7 Develop inclusive, accessible data collection protocols, including the Washington Group Short Set questions, for all projects in Papua New Guinea.
• 6.8 Identify training needs and develop a training plan to ensure new and existing staff participate in disability inclusion training.  
• 6.9 Develop a diversity and inclusion toolkit with Disabled People’s Organisations. 
• 6.10 Build in project feedback mechanisms that include questions on disability and accessibility.