Transition to retirement

Due to increased life expectancy, the number of older Australians with a long-term disability, such as intellectual disability, is increasing. More people with disability are facing retirement. Planning for retirement is part of the life cycle for most Australians, but people with intellectual disability can be reluctant to leave their familiar work environment, and may find it hard to envisage life in retirement. As well, older people with a intellectual disability meet significant barriers to enjoying an active retirement. These include a lack of planning, few opportunities to access mainstream retirement activities, absence of friends or companions for social activities, as well as practical and bureaucratic difficulties. Yet retirement planning is important for this group of older Australians as older people with disability often have health problems that necessitate them retiring years earlier than the nominal retirement age of 65.