Disability Dialogue: Connecting to Community – Peer Support

Summary The event started by explaining what peer support means: it is about people who have similar lived experiences connecting and sharing with each other. Then it discussed the benefits of peer support including emotional support, building confidence, sharing information, and creating a sense o…

Disability Dialogue: Unlocking potential: support for children with disability

*TRIGGER WARNING* This recording contains a discussion that touches on self-harm and spousal abuse at the one hour mark (around 1:05:00). Listener discression is advised and for support you visit beyondblue.org.au or call Lifeline on 13 11 14. You can read the transcript of the event here. Summar…

Disability Dialogue: Connecting to Community – Safe and Accessible Transport

Summary The event started with a panel discussion between the host Elly Desmarchelier and panellists Todd Wither, Emma Myers and Jared Simkus. They are all people with disability who shared their ideas on safe and accessible transport. Then we heard from Dr Lisa Stafford who is an expert in accessi…

Disability Dialogue: Foundations for a good life

Disability support beyond the NDISSummary The event talked about General Foundational Supports which are supports outside of the NDIS. The hosts Sara and Todd presented a model of three “buckets” of support: mainstream services, the NDIS, and Foundational Supports. Each of these supports are differ…

Disability Dialogue - What happened in 2025 for people with disability? A year in review.

The final Open Dialogue for the year It’s been a big year for people with disability and we want to talk about some of the big moments that have shaped 2025.  We will hear from our co-hosts and guest speakers about what they think are some of the most memorable things that have happened this year…

Disability Dialogue - AI is here and it’s changing the way we live, work and connect

Event Summary Carly Wallace, Director of the Disability Dialogue, welcomed everyone to the event. Kelly Griffis-Cox, who is part of the Disability Dialogue team, and Sam Mouakkassa, who works for the Victorian Advocacy League for Individuals with Disability (VALiD), co-hosted the event. The first s…

Disability Dialogue - Facing the storm

Facing the storm together: How we plan and respond to weather-related disasters   Summary Kelly Griffis-Cox, who is part of the Disability Dialogue team, and Andrew Fairbairn, who works for an organisation called Limbs for Life, co-hosted the event.  The first speakers were Jonathon Tracey, who g…

Australian film ‘What About Sal?’ gets disability representation right

The disability community has experienced a shift in its representation within the Australian entertainment industry over the past couple of years, with content such as children’s program Bluey and the SBS series Erotic Stories hitting our screens, according to Screen Australia. Now, a film that sh…

Thriving Kids: NDIS Autism Debate

Last month NDIS Minister, Mark Butler, introduced the $2 billion Thriving kids program, but the announcement has left many concerned the wife of Sam Giorgio spoke with CEO of Autism Awareness Australia. Nicole Rogerson, to find out more about what this program could mean for children with autism a…

Critique of Australian University Disability Inclusion

Unlike the Disability Royal Commission, the Universities Accord Panel has failed to promote a pathway that will realise equality as envisaged in the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. OAM Professor Paul Harpur of the University of Queensland explains why a disability-led disa…