The effervescent Rayna Lamb was a guest speaker at our Physical Disability Awareness Day’s online DisabiliTEA event on February 2nd 2025.
She shared her story and gave cautionary advice on avoiding burnout and always being mindful of our health and wellbeing.
To watch this great talk, click below
Whilst you’re there, we invite you to subscribe to PDA’s YouTube channel.
The charismatic Peter Tully spoke at this year’s Physical Disability Awareness Day’s online DisabiliTEA event around his personal story and how through sharing our experiences and being involved in co-design can lead to positive change.
To watch this great talk, click below.
Whilst you’re there, we invite you to subscribe to PDA’s YouTube channel.
The fabulous Alyce Nelligan was one of the guest speakers at this year’s Physical Disability Awareness Day’s online DisabiliTEA event.
She shared her story and her thoughts on the importance of days such as mPhysical Disability Awareness Day in bringing about positive change for all people living with disability.
To watch this great talk, click below.
Whilst you’re there, we invite you to subscribe to PDA’s YouTube channel.
#physicaldisabilityawarenessday
On Sunday 2nd February we hosted the 3rd Physical Disability Awareness Day and were incredibly fortunate to have four amazing speakers attend our online DisabiliTEA event.
Dr Dinesh Palipana OAM (PDA’s Ambassador) was one of these illustrious guests.
Dinesh Palipana joined us whilst on duty in the A&E Department at Gold Coast University Hospital. He shared his thoughts around his recent 15 year anniversary of becoming a quadriplegic, where he believes things need to change in regards to healthcare and other issues of concern to people living with disability and how we can help to drive positive change.
A big thanks to you Dinesh for joining us on the day and his ongoing support of PDA and Australia’s disability community.
It is with great sadness that Physical Disability Australia (PDA) announces the resignation of Andrew Fairbairn as Interim Executive Officer.
Andrew joined PDA as a member in 2017 and was asked to join the Board in 2018 as WA Director.
His go getter personality, friendly persona and commitment to the disability community and PDA, quickly saw him voted in to the position of Co-Vice President alongside Talia Spooner-Stewart.
When PDA’s legendary Liz Reid’s maximum tenure as PDA President ended, Andrew’s talents and expertise saw him step into the role. Despite Liz leaving behind big shoes to fill, Andrew confidently and successfully took on the role and, together with an incredible Executive team and Board, steered PDA on to grow even further as a recognised, respected and proactive Disabled Peoples’ Organisation.
Following the departure of PDA’s General Manager, Andrew (at the request and support of the full Board) resigned from his role as President to step in to the role of Interim Executive Officer.
Working alongside and at the helm of a loyal team of staff, Andrew established himself as the face and voice of PDA that was synonymous with disability rights and inclusion. His work with PDA has played a part in guiding PDA as a visible, respected and supportive organisation for people living with physical disability.
Our Board, staff and membership would like to publicly express our thanks to Andrew (on behalf of our organisation, our Members and Australia’s disability community), for his enduring commitment, advocacy work and overall contribution to PDA and Australia’s disability landscape.
Andrew has brought so much to PDA and leaves a legacy that will be difficult to emulate and cannot be erased.
Andrew, wherever your next chapter takes you, we wish you well and know that your professionalism, knowledge, ethics, expertise and personality will shine wherever you go.
The Australia Day 2025 Honours List recognises many incredible Australians who have shown commitment and hard work to earn their place on this esteemed wall of fame.
Of these, PDA wishes to thank and congratulate the following for their commendable contributions to Australia’s disability community:
Officer of the Order of Australia (AO)
Honorary) Member of the Order of Australia (AM)
Member of the Order of Australia (AM)
Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM)
(Honorary) Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM)
PDA would also like to raise a glass to everyone else who plays a role in supporting our community. Whether on a big or little scale, your efforts and contributions are recognised, seen and celebrated and we give thanks.
PDA would like to congratulate Neale Daniher for being recognised as 2025 Australian of the Year.
PDA’s CEO, Jeremy Muir, extended his applause for Neale’s well deserved accolade. “PDA would like to acknowledge the outstanding work of Neale in his tireless work to find a cure for MND and raise awareness of motor neurone disease. Through his unfailing commitment and drive, he (along with his family, friends and the FightMND Foundation) has not only raised over $100 million dollars of funding to help find a cure for MND, but also highlights the issues that those living with MND and their families face every day. Congratulations Neale.”
PDA would also like to congratulate Brother Thomas Oliver Pickett for being recognised as 2025 Senior Australian of the Year for his dedication providing children around the world with life-changing wheelchairs.
“For those of us who use a wheelchair for our everyday mobility, we understand the importance of having access to the right equipment and applaud Brother Thomas for his efforts in providing over 60,000 custom-built wheelchairs to children in over 80 countries. This life changing program will provide ongoing, meaningful and immeasurable opportunities for years to come. Congratulations Brother Thomas.”
A big congratulations also to the many individuals recognised in the Australia Day Honours List, particularly those working to make a difference within our country’s disability community.
We thank you for your efforts and commitment.
Thank you to Australian of the Year Awards/Australia National Day Council for allowing us to use their photographs (https://australianoftheyear.org.au/recipients).
CAN YOU PLEASE HELP?
Every year on 3 December, people around the world take part in International Day of People with Disability (IDPwD).
IDPwD is an opportunity to challenge perceptions and attitudes about people with disability.
In Australia, IDPwD is a joint effort between government, schools, organisations, community groups, businesses and individuals.
We are always looking for ways to make IDPwD better and want to seek feedback from the community through a short survey.
The IDPwD 2024 public survey will be available on our website from Monday 13 January to Sunday 2 February.
The survey contains 14 questions and should take around 10-15 minutes to complete.
The survey is completely anonymous.
Findings from this public survey, alongside an evaluation of our IDPwD communications activities in 2024 and feedback from Disability Representative Organisations, will help inform our approach to IDPwD 2025.
To take part in the survey go to:
www.idpwd.com.au/international-day-of-people-with-disability-idpwd-2024-survey/
If you have any questions, please email idpwd@dss.gov.au
It is with great pleasure that we introduce Jeremy Muir as PDA’s CEO and welcome him to the team.
Jeremy’s credentials positioned him as a perfect fit to steer Physical Disability Australia to even greater growth, success and recognition as a leading Australian disability representative organisation.
A dedicated professional with over 40 years of lived disability experience and extensive expertise in disability advocacy, policy development and leadership, Jeremy is focused on creating positive change and improving services for people with disabilities.
A strong background in advocacy and policy work, has seen him work closely with government leaders to shape disability policies and raise awareness of key issues. He has led national submissions on disability standards and facilitated workshops on social inclusion, presenting outcomes to federal decision-makers and driving meaningful change.
Leadership roles, both within government and community services, have shown Jeremy successfully manage a variety of disability programs, bringing teams together, streamlining operations and improving support for clients. Within the non-profit sector, he successfully grew an organisation by 300%, significantly increased its budget, and introduced new programs to support rural communities.
With over 15 years of experience in the higher education sector, he has also supported students with disabilities by developing tailored solutions, promoting inclusive practices and contributing to campus accessibility improvements. This helped drive a university-wide Disability Employment Strategy and played a key role in fostering a more supportive environment for students and staff.
As an advisor to government ministers, he has provided strategic advice, engaged with communities and contributed to the design and implementation of programs supporting people with disabilities.
A keen sports and music fan, Jeremy has traveled extensively across the globe and gained a broad perspective and appreciation for diverse cultures and experiences.
Through both professional expertise and lived experience, Jeremy’s name is synonymous with driving change, building strong teams, improving disability services, launching new programs, and influencing policy at a national level.
PDA’s President, Sharon Boyce, looks forward to working with Jeremy in his role as CEO to ensure PDA grows even stronger to support the organisation and its members. “This is a time where we need strength and are able to show leadership in our efforts to help all people with physical disability across Australia. On behalf of the PDA Board and it’s staff, I welcome Jeremy and am excited that together with his help and leadership we can achieve real inclusion for all.”
Welcome Jeremy. We look forward to a bright future for PDA with you at our helm.
Content warning: This article mentions sex, relationships and ableism.
Melanie Hawkes is PDA’s WA Director and she helped to kickstart open conversations around sexuality and disability.
In a Women’s Agenda article she shares her personal experiences and thoughts around her sexual journey, and provides a real insight into why intimacy, love and self growth is important for everyone.
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