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The first quarter of this year has seen changes at the Disability Leadership Institute (DLI), with two new Deputy CEOs stepping into their roles.  Yenn Purkis and Wendy Hill are familiar names to many in the sector. Both new deputy CEOs say they are proud to be disabled and are open about their condition.  “It’s… Read more: Disability Leadership (Part 2)

The first quarter of this year has seen changes at the Disability Leadership Institute (DLI), with two new Deputy CEOs stepping into their roles.  Yenn Purkis and Wendy Hill are familiar names to many in the sector. They’ll be kept busy in their new jobs, Purkis as Deputy CEO, external relations and Hill as Deputy… Read more: Changing the world with DLI’s Deputy CEOs (Part 1)

A dementia diagnosis can cause anxiety and worry, but an Australian invention hopes to make communication easier for families and those with the disease.  It’s called CareWindow. The company was inspired by founder and CEO Zac Bailey’s dad, who developed early onset dementia following a series of stroke-like episodes after a course of radiotherapy. The… Read more: A window to connection for people with dementia

The Federal election has been called and Australians will go to the polls on Saturday 3 May.  That includes Australians with disabilities.  The election was called in the same week that the Federal government presented its Budget, and less than 24 hours after Opposition Leader Peter Dutton gave his Budget Reply speech – so we… Read more: Countdown to Election Day begins 

A not-for-profit leader is pouring her passion and lived experience into research that aims to improve the lives of young carers.   Madeleine Buchner is the founder and CEO of Little Dreamers, a not for profit that aims to improve the quality of life of young carers through respite, education and mental health and wellbeing programs. … Read more: On a mission to support young carers 

More than 350 delegates attending the first traumatic brain injury (TBI) conference in Christchurch, last week. Delegates came from throughout New Zealand, with 52% attending from outside the Canterbury region. International delegates from six countries also came from afar afield as Japan and the USA. The event was organised by Interpoint Events, who have worked… Read more: Record numbers attend inaugural traumatic brain injury conference in New Zealand

Living with chronic pain can be an alienating experience.  You feel lonely and uncomfortable, and perhaps unable to share that experience with others for fear of judgement. You might desperately want to ask for accommodations to make getting through the work day easier, but feel like a burden if you do.  But the reality is,… Read more: Conversations about chronic pain

When you think of sustainability, what’s the first thing that comes to mind? It’s likely things like recycling, or electric vehicles or solar panels.  Sustainability in accessible technologies are probably not top of mind in that list. But it is top of mind for Tyrex, which specialises in recycled rubber products including access ramps and… Read more: Sustainability in accessibility

Nerida Sleaman said she has the best job in the world. She’s the project manager of Employing 100 at Australian Disability Network (ADN), an employer demand-led inclusion framework. Over the past week, the program has celebrated a milestone as it concluded, having successfully secured jobs for almost 240 people with disability – over and above… Read more: Employing 100 program smashes target as DEI scales up

Parenting is hard work – but add in the unique challenges of parenting while using a wheelchair, and the difficulty increases.   Now, a world-first invention aims to minimise those difficulties by making it easier for parents in wheelchairs or with other disabilities to care for their babies.  Called the Care Station, it’s been welcomed around… Read more: Aussie invention simplifies caring for parents with disability

The Create Space Arts Initiative is working to make the arts more accessible for the neurodivergent community.  It was born from work done at The A List, a national platform that helps autistic and neurodivergent people to find opportunities for social connections. One of the things the team at The A List noticed was that… Read more: Building neurodivergent-led art spaces for all

Gerry Smith’s dream has always been to perform his music on stage.  He was brought up on the classics: the Beatles, Sinatra, early jazz. His father was into instrumentals, so a young Gerry grew up with varied tastes. He attended gigs at venues across Melbourne.  But he never thought he would make it.  Smith has… Read more: Singer-songwriter Gerry Smith lives for the moment on stage 

There’s been some positive news in the realm of disability employment.  The latest data release from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) has shown improvement in several measures related to employment for people with disability.  But some measures still lag, according to the data release.  It follows news last year that the labour… Read more: Employment indicators on the up for people with disability 

Australia has its first ever National Autism Strategy.  Along with an associated Action Plan, the government says the documents aim to improve inclusion, support and life outcomes for Australians on the spectrum.  It’s been designed in consultation with autistic people as a national approach to breaking down the barriers that prevent autistic people from accessing… Read more: The National Autism Strategy: now what?

So, you’re in need of a holiday. Perhaps you chose to put off that Christmas break so you didn’t run into the summer tourist rush, or maybe the break simply feels like too long ago now. Whatever the reason, you deserve a vacation.  But when you have a disability, it can be harder to find… Read more: Ready to book your accessible holiday?

Occasionally, Greg Pinson likes to throw himself out of his wheelchair. And while that might sound strange, it’s for good reason.  Pinson, who was born with spina bifida, is a keen indoor skydiver and the brand ambassador for indoor skydiving provider iFly.  In a way, his ‘flying career’ began with relearning how to have fun;… Read more: Learning to fly, no matter the disability

To say it’s been a busy year for disability policy is, frankly, an understatement. Much of what took place this year was expected, but there were a few surprises too. Here’s our recap of some of the biggest moments of 2024.  Policy and Paralympics  In disability policy, the Federal government released its response to the… Read more: The year in disability

A new dance program from Monash University is driving the development of inclusive dance programs and supporting the wellbeing of children in Australia and China living with disability.   The AllPlay partnership with the only professional dance institution in China, the Beijing Dance Academy, will, for the first time, give children with disabilities outside Australia access… Read more: Dancing all the way to China

PhD candidate Chrissy Antonopoulos is challenging the biases that can limit people with disability – and her work on the subject has recently earned a prestigious award.  Antonopoulos, a registered psychologist, is currently awaiting confirmation of her PhD which focuses on implicit bias towards people with disability. Her research found that people with disability experience… Read more: Implicit bias researcher wins global award

Outgoing NDIS Minister Bill Shorten has made his valedictory speech to the Australian Parliament as he says farewell to politics after 17 years.  Shorten made his speech on Thursday 21 November, with current and former staff as well as Parliamentarians in attendance.  The minister used his speech to reflect on his time serving not just… Read more: Shorten gives farewell speech