140 advocacy groups completed the survey, representing approximately 35% of the estimated workforce. 48 individual advocacy organisations also took part, with every state and territory included in responses received.
Revealing a strong sector, fuelled by expertise and commitment, findings also reflected the strains of rising demand, funding uncertainty and strain on the available workforce.
To read this report, go to:
www.ncda.org.au/advocacy-sector-workforce-survey-2025-results-report/
Notice is hereby given that the Deferred Annual General Meeting of Physical Disability Australia Ltd (financial year 2024/25) will now be held on:
Thursday 23rd April 2026
6:30pm to 7pm AEDT
Location – Online via MS Teams
PDA Members have been emailed information on this upcoming meeting. If you are a PDA Member and have not yet received this correspondence, please let us know by emailing promotion@pda.org.au.
We look forward to seeing Members at this meeting.
Today PDA’s star Policy/Project Officer, Sarah McInnes, was part of the NDRP’s “Evidence to Action: Accessible and Inclusive Communities” which explored the importance of changing community attitudes to improve genuine inclusion and accessibility within our communities.
As always, Sarah spoke eloquently, with conviction and with understanding around what is needed to achieve a society that is truly inclusive and respectful and which sees and utilises the value of everyone.
To watch her talk, go to:
She comes in at 18:16.
Prior to his resignation as PDA CEO taking effect, Jeremy Muir was interviewed by the “Saturday Paper” in regards to increased technology and surveillance by major retailers to reduce shoplifting.
This story went to print on Saturday.
With proposed “upgrades” bringing added inconvenience and potential safety issues to people living with disability or mobility issues, should these decisions be better considered?
Do you think that retail management needs to look at better options?
Physical Disability Australia Ltd (PDA)’s incredible Policy/Project Officer, Sarah McInnes, will feature in a video discussing the importance of changing community attitudes to improve genuine inclusion and accessibility within our communities at National Disability Research Partnership (NDRP)’s upcoming “Evidence to Action: Accessible and Inclusive Communities”.
Monday 23 March 2026, 12:30-2:30pm AEDT
Held online via Zoom. Free to join.
Auslan, captions and screen breaks provided.
The conversation will around the question “what makes a community genuinely accessible and inclusive, and what evidence are we missing to get there?”
Speakers will include:
To register, go to:
https://content.ndrp.org.au/evidence-to-action-register-now
PAID OPPORTUNITY FOR WOMEN WITH DISABILITIES
Think HQ has been commissioned by the Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing to run a BreastScreen RoundTable Consultation for Women with Disabilities
on Thursday 26th March
6:30pm until 7:30pm AEDT
Online via Zoom
This will enable them to better understand the barriers that women with disabilities face when considering getting a breast screen.
These insights will shape a strategy for resource development and distribution to ultimately drive increased breast screening participation rates for disability cohorts.
If you are a woman with disability within the free breast screen age range (aged 50–74), or a disability service provider or carer where appropriate, you are eligible to participate.
Payment: $120
Participation eligibility
PARTICIPATION ELIGIBILITY:
* Women with disability (50-74) or carer where:
*Physical disability that limits their mobility
* Intellectual disability
* Sight or hearing disability
* Disability support worker for women with disabilities aged 50-74
Key discussion questions will be shared prior to the session.
All participants will be required to sign a Consent Form.
If you would like to participate or know someone who is eligible, please confirm interest by Friday 20th March.
If you have any queries or would like to discuss further, please contact Nicola Diomides (she/her), Community Engagement Lead, via nicola.d@think-hq.com.au or on 0467 039 836 to discuss.
CAN YOU HELP?
Cancer Council Australia, in partnership with AFDO – Australian Federation Of Disability Organisations and the Melbourne Disability Institute, is calling for people to be involved in the development of national guidance for inclusive cancer care.
Expressions of Interest are now open to join their Optimal Care Pathway for People with Disability Working Group.
Optimal Care Pathways provide a framework for delivering consistent, safe and evidence-based cancer care across the entire patient journey, from prevention and early detection through to treatment, recovery or end-of-life care.
People with disability experience significant disparities in cancer outcomes. This project aims to address these barriers and improve access to high-quality cancer care.
They are seeking Working Group members from a range of backgrounds, including:
• People with lived experience of cancer and disability
• Disability sector organisations and advocates
• Medical professionals
• Allied health and supportive care professionals
EOIs close Friday 3 April 2026.
For more information and to apply, go to:
https://www.cancer.org.au/health-professionals/optimal-cancer-care-pathways/people-with-disability
Easy Read EOI: https://www.cancer.org.au/health-professionals/optimal-cancer-care-pathways/people-with-disability
You may have noticed a new addition to our recent social posts, in the way of a new logo in the bottom right hand corner of our images.
As part of PDA’s 30th year, a new look was commissioned with our logo and also as a refresh of our website to meet our needs and also strengthen our organisation as we move forwards.
Working with our project partners, FivebyFive, over the past eight months, we are now proud to officially launch the new website and our new logo.
The creation of the website has been a collaboration in design, concept and structure with the new site having a fresh, exciting new look that is both informative and accessible.
In recognition of PDA’s heritage logo, the new PDA logo uses the traditional purple associated with disability and combines with a vibrant and fresh green to denote growth and moving forwards.
The image with its soft curves demonstrates activity and movement with conviction and flow. The person like image in purple deliberately spreads and reaches across the green of Australia, with the curves indicating physical movement and presence. ‘Physical Disability’ is emboldened to clearly indicate who we are, our strength and our courage.
This logo was chosen as it positively reflects PDA as a truly national organisation with coverage across the entire country.
Armed with 30 years of history as a leading force representing Australians living with physical disability, PDA looks toward a future that grows our organisation and improves the lives of our members and the wider disability community.
We invite you to explore our “new” website.
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It is with immense sadness that Physical Disability Australia (PDA) today farewells their inaugural CEO, Jeremy Mark Muir.
Jeremy began this role in January 2025, after deservedly being selected from an incredibly talented and worthy list of applicants.
Stepping in to this role, Jeremy quickly made a positive impression – both within our organisation, within the disability sector and in our community.
Working to strengthen PDA’s reputation and standing as a credible and meaningful organisation, Jeremy established strong working relationships with fellow disability Representative Organisations, government bodies, and individuals working within the sector.
His leadership abilities and caring nature quickly built up rapport and respect both within the organisation’s staff, amongst our members and with most of the board.
To say that PDA has lost one of its most valuable assets is an underestimation.
It has been an absolute honour, privilege and pleasure to have worked with Jeremy during his short, yet incredibly effective time leading PDA.
We are grateful for having experienced Jeremy’s leadership, friendship and benefitting from the values and lessons he has quietly inspired in us to be the best that we can be professionally and the best that we should aspire to be as humans.
Jeremy, the staff of PDA wish you nothing but happiness, good health and a shiny future – in whatever that holds.
Your imprint on Physical Disability Australia will never be tarnished and we are grateful for our brief time with you as the Captain steering PDA forward for the betterment of all Australians living with disability.
With love and utmost respect,
The Staff
Physical Disability Australia
“As previously stated on 16th February, I have resigned from my role as CEO of PDA, with this becoming effective on Friday 13th March 2026.
Having only been in the position for just over a year, I certainly did not envisage leaving so soon. My decision to resign was exceedingly difficult as I believe the work achieved by the staff of PDA over the last year has been exceptional, with webinars; submissions; a member’s survey; Social Hours; Physical Disability Awareness Day; presenting at conferences/forums; Senate Committees; with over a 1000 hours spent at meetings fighting the good fight. I’m exhausted just thinking about it all. We are a smaller DRO, but there is nothing small about our impact and influence. Natasha Nobay, Sarah McInnes and Trish Johnson have contributed so much to PDA’s status as a leading, truly national Disability Representative Organisation (DRO) and I cannot thank them enough for their work ethic, their commitment, their support and their friendship. They were the reason resigning was so difficult. I will miss their humour, their encouragement, and the fact that each of them are wonderful individuals.
It is important that I acknowledge that being part of a volunteer Board takes time, energy and commitment and I applaud those Board members who engaged with the work and direction of PDA and the support that these individuals showed to me. I will say that I take full responsibility for being unable to maintain a strong, trusting, collaborative working relationship with the full Board.
I am old, I am dispensable and I am replaceable, and for most I will become a distant memory. I have tried to do the best job I can for the PDA members and for people living with disabilities, with a focus on improving the rights across all areas for our cohort. I have tried to work with humility, with kindness and with honesty and to be true to who I am. I was never the smartest person in the room, but I strive to never be self-serving, cruel, or dismissive. You do not choose to work in the disability field for self-gratification or reward and certainly not for financial gain. You do so because you believe in the cause, you believe that people with disabilities deserve better rights, better access, better treatment, and better inclusion. This is what I have been fighting to achieve for 40 years (told you I was old).
One of the joys in my role was the opportunity to meet and collaborate with some brilliant advocates within the DRO space. I paled into insignificance when I was in their presence (mainly online); their intelligence, their advocacy skills, their strategic thinking, left me in awe. I could only dream of reaching their heights and I was honoured to sit amongst them representing PDA for the brief time that I did. One of my biggest regrets is not meeting them all in person, which is on me but fortunately the online meeting space still afforded me the opportunity to listen and learn and get to know them a little. For all this, I thank them.
As many of my DRO colleagues will know, working in this space does come with its challenges, which brings me to why I resigned. It is naïve of me, but when you take on any position, you do not expect to experience threats, bullying and lateral violence, and you certainly do not expect it to come from within your own cohort. You also do not expect inaction from those who can put a stop to it or prevent it. I am not as resilient as I once was, and I decided I did not want to continue working under those conditions.
I am not sure what comes next for me. I do feel as if a have let several people down, for which I am deeply sorry. I need to take some time to reflect and heal and to come to terms with my decision. We will see what happens when I come out the other side.
I will continue to support PDA and the important work that it does just a tad more quietly. Thank you for opportunity to represent our community.
Until next time, so long and thanks for all the fish.
Jeremy Muir“
1800 732 674
