02 Jul2014
A brief history of Australian Disability Enterprises
The forerunners of Australian Disability Enterprises were established in the 1950s and were known as sheltered workshops, because the people who worked there were "sheltered" from having to compete in the open employment market. The workshops were started by parents who wanted meaningful employment for their children with severe disability, which at that time was hard to find.
In 1967, the Commonwealth Sheltered Employment (Assistance) Act provided funding to non-profit organisations to establish and equip sheltered workshops and supported accommodation. The Act gave many organisations across the country access to capital works funding (for buildings and other infrastructure), which meant they no longer had to rely so much on fundraising and bequests.
