Blog

PDA’s CEO, Suzanne Gearing, attended yesterday’s Public Hearing in Canberra with PDA President, Paul Williamson. She shares her take on the day below: Yesterday, on a day that was as bleak as the future we are facing under the NDIS reforms, sitting in Parliament House meeting room S2.1, Paul Williamson (Physical Disability Australia Ltd (PDA)...

At yesterday’s Day 1 public hearing on the NDIS Amendment Bill, Physical Disability Australia Ambassador Dr Dinesh Palipana OAM spoke with both gratitude and conviction.   While acknowledging the life-changing support he has received through the NDIS, Dinesh also expressed concern that people with disability – the very people the Scheme exists to support –...

Written by Sarah McInnes – PDA’s Policy/Project Officer A plain-language look at why everyday access, safety, and inclusion still matter – and why your voice does too. What does progress mean if you still cannot get into your home easily, catch public transport with confidence, or feel safe in the support systems meant to protect...

Disability advocate Sophia Redjeb has released an independent report, The Human Cost of the Partner Income Test. Drawing on responses from 798 Australians affected by partner income testing over a two-week survey period, the report reveals that this policy is far more than an administrative Centrelink measure. Respondents described experiences of financial dependency, hardship, fear...

Written by Sean Tyrell – PDA’s VIC Associate Director This blog was prompted by a loose discussion within the PDA Board about our experiences travelling abroad. After hearing some truly horrific stories from some of our members, I volunteered to try a lighter tone and share some history about how I used a bit of...

Written by Sean Tyrell, PDA Associate Director Victoria Many PDA members are aware that the Parliament has passed legislative amendments intended to make it easier for victims of sexual harassment, discrimination and victimisation to enforce our rights in the Federal Court. The law has been changed so that the payment of legal costs no longer...

Written by Melanie Hawkes – PDA’s WA Director I went to Sydney for my brother’s wedding in November 2025. My airfares and hotel were booked back in June, so I could relax and wait for my trip to happen. Or so I thought.  This was my first trip on a plane with my boyfriend James,...

Katherine Reed is an incredible woman and someone that we are proud to have involved with PDA as Tasmania’s Associate Director. She has just had her story shared by the ABC. A great read. https://m.facebook.com/groups/physicaldisabilityaustralia/permalink/10162578990732599/? Photo supplied by Basketball Victoria.

Written by Melanie Hawkes, PDA’s WA Director The elevator doors closed behind me, but it didn’t move.  Uh-oh, I thought. Now what?  In the 14 years I’d been a wheelchair user, I’d never been in a lift on my own before. But here I was, in my first semester of a Japanese Studies degree at Murdoch University,...

PDA’s CEO, Jeremy Muir, was a recent guest on Navigating Disability’s popular podcast. We admit to being a biased crew here in the PDA office, but we think this interview is so powerful and simply confirms our superfan view of Jeremy. Interviewed by Kate Read and Jenn Abbott, this podcast explores Jeremy’s life both before...

Celebrating Strength, Diversity, and Inclusion Written by Jeremy Muir – PDA’s CEO As it comes to end of Disability Pride month for 2025, I wanted to reflect on what ‘Pride’ means to me as a person who has lived with their disability for over 40 years. Every July, Disability Pride Month offers an important opportunity...

As NAIDOC weeks draws to a close once again, I want to pay respects to all the deadly mob who have come before us, who are with us now as elders and those that are following the song lines of our elders. The oldest living culture on earth does not have a single word for...