The disability royal commission is examining the barriers people with disability face when it comes to employment and their experiences of discrimination.

'We want to understand why people with disability are less likely to be employed and have lower incomes than people without disability," chair Ronald Sackville RC said on Tuesday.

'We also want to understand why First Nations people with disability experience higher rates of unemployment than non-indigenous people with disability."

The Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability released an issues paper about employment on Tuesday, seeking public input.

"Our issues paper seeks to identify the barriers to employment that may prevent financial independence and other benefits associated with work, including dignity, a sense of purpose and social connectedness," Mr Sackville said.

The paper noted that having a meaningful job with fair and equitable pay can promote the inclusion and independence of people with disability and support their right to live free from violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation.

In 2018, 53.4 per cent of people with disability were in the labour force, compared to 84.1 per cent of people without disability.

The median gross income for a person with disability was $505 a week, half that for someone without disability.

The commission also wants to know if specific employment programs targeted at people with disability are helping them find and keep a job and if they are easy to access.

Australian Associated Press