With Physical Disability Australia – PDA celebrating its 30th birthday this coming December, we’re putting together a collection of memories and would love you to be involved.
Whether you were a foundation member in 1995, or have joined us along the way, we’d love to hear your PDA stories, receive your photos and learn more about our history and how we’ve grown to be a prominent voice in Australia’s disability landscape.
To share your memories, please email natasha.nobay@pda.org.au.
If you’d prefer your contribution to remain anonymous, please include this in the email.
Keep an eye out on our socials as we move towards our 30th. We’ll be sharing some interesting PDA facts along the way.
Whether you discovered Physical Disability Australia’s socials, heard about us from a friend or family member, or found us online, why not take advantage of our free membership and sign up to be part of a wonderful community of people who truly understand what it means to live with a physical disability?
There are a lot of benefits in becoming a PDA member.
With physical disability making up a huge *76.8% of Australia’s reported 5.5 million disabled, PDA represents the vast majority of our country’s disability community – over 4.2 million in fact.
As well as Australians living with physical disability, we also welcome their families, friends, carers, support workers, providers and anyone with a supportive interest as PDA members.
We’ve been around since 1995 and are one of a very small handful of Australian disability organisations that actually has members and board representation in every Australian state and territory.
This gives us a national footprint and allows PDA to have its finger firmly on the pulse of disability in our country.
It is through this representation that our strong voice is heard and that we are included in Australia’s disability conversation.
As an organisation run by people with physical disability for people with physical disability, PDA also truly understands and stands for the needs, rights and consideration of its members.
We put disability rights at the forefront of all that we do.
So, if you haven’t signed up for FREE PDA MEMBERSHIP yet, what’s stopping you?
Simply click across to our signup page
Join today.
You’ll be glad that you did.
A big shoutout from Physical Disability Australia to the following recipients of the King’s Birthday 2025 Honours List:
To read more about these deserving recipients, head across to Ability News’ article – https://www.abilitynews.org/p/the-disability-community-recognised-e0dd9f7c0c651a1b
PDA’S President and QLD Director, Dr Sharon Boyce, was recently recognised at the 2025 Toowoomba Business Disability Awards.
As winner of the Education & Training Award, this accolade celebrates excellence in education and/or training within the Toowoomba and Darling Downs regions.
A most deserving recipient.
Congratulations Sharon.
Australian Communications Consumer Action Network – ACCAN is currently gathering insights and case studies to support their policy and advocacy work.
They want to make sure the communications experiences of people with disability are reflected in the issues they raise with government and industry.
Your help, through sharing feedback based on your experience and knowledge (even brief or de-identified), would be incredibly helpful.
ACCAN is particularly interested in:
If you are able to help work with ACCAN to shape their focus and work and moving forwards, please contact
Dr Amelia Radke (she/her)
Senior Policy Adviser
Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN)
PO Box A1158 Sydney South, NSW 1235
P: 02 9288 4000
E: amelia.radke@accan.org.au
The Department of Social Services wants to hear your views on the way forward for supported and open employment – particularly in regards to:
This consultation is part of the DSS’ ongoing commitment to improve employment outcomes for people with disability.
Findings from the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability Final Report in relation to employment for people with disability, will be considered alongside this consultation.
Consultation closes on 22 June 2025 at 5pm AEST.
To be involved, please read the discussion paper (https://engage.dss.gov.au/next-steps-in-supported-employment-consultation-on-the-way-forward/supported-employment-discussion-paper/)
and then visit
where you can make a submission responding to the questions and topics.
You can also provide a submission by emailing SEPolicy@dss.gov.au.
For more information, please go to:
www.engage.dss.gov.au/next-steps-in-supported-employment-consultation-on-the-way-forward/
Join Participant First to have your say.
The best way to make the NDIS stronger is to listen to people with lived experience of disability and the NDIS.
The Participant First group is one way NDIS participants, families and carers can have their say about how to improve the NDIS experience, systems and processes.
The NDIS is calling for people within this demographic to sign up for the Participant First group and take part in activities such as:
Some of these feedback opportunities are paid.
Participant First members receive a newsletter every 2 weeks offering new opportunities to get involved.
As a member, you can choose to register for opportunities you’re interested in.
All feedback is confidential and doesn’t get added to official participant records.
Hear more from Participant First members by clicking on this video below:
If you’re interested in joining Participant First, go to:
If you have any questions, you can contact participant.engagement@ndis.gov.au.
Following the Australian Government’s ministry announcement, PDA congratulates Minister Mark Butler and Minister Jenny McAllister on their appointments.
Minister Butler has taken on the mantle of Minister for Health and Ageing, and the Minister for Disability and the National Disability Insurance Scheme, and Minister McAllister has stepped into the role of Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme.
In joint responsibility for the National Disability Insurance Scheme, Butler is expected to lead negotiations with state government on hospital agreements and foundational supports, whilst delivery and implementation of that work will be led by McAllister.
With some concern around health, ageing and disability all being plunked in the same basket, Australia’s disability community now looks with interest at what will come.
With Government having taken on board the call for a Minister of Disability, let’s hope that Australians living with disability will still be provided with world-leading and life-changing supports.
The best way for this to happen is for those with lived experience to be part of the conversation and to provide insights necessary to make things work – not just on paper, but in the real world of disability.
Ministers Butler and McAllister, we’re happy to meet with you for a chat over a coffee or a pint. Give us a call and we’ll get something in the diary.
JUNE’S SOCIAL HOUR HAS BEEN RESCHEDULED to MONDAY 9th JUNE.
SOCIAL HOURS WILL RETURN TO THE FIRST MONDAY OF THE MONTH FROM JULY ONWARDS.
We look forward to seeing you there.
6pm VIC/ACT/TAS/NSW/QLD
5:30pm SA/NT
4pm WA
To register, go to:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYqc–qqjkjG903J2KoieI9ASVSig7b4mxr
😊
I stumbled across an interesting article where people contributed their take on the question “what would you tell your younger self?” – particularly from the standpoint of a person living with a disability.
myblurredworld.com/2021/03/21/dear-younger-self/
It’s a question that’s been asked and answered many times.
There are common themes, similar shares and some eye opening responses that can come out of such a question, but sometimes they can really help – not just cathartic to yourself, but potentially providing advice or comfort to someone who’s going down a similar road.
So, how would you answer this question?
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