In response to recommendations made by the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability, the Australian Government is reviewing the Disability Discrimination Act.
On Friday 15th August an Introduction Webinar for the review of the Disability Discrimination Act will take place.
All members of the public who are interested in the Disability Discrimination Act and what to learn about the review are invited to attend.
This webinar will include information about the review, what is being considered and also provide information about how you can have your say.
A recording will be made available on the Attorney General’s Department website at some stage after the event (https://www.ag.gov.au/rights-and-protections/human-rights-and-anti-discrimination/australias-anti-discrimination-law/review-disability-discrimination-act).
The webinar will be online via Zoom and will run for 1 hour.
Auslan interpreters and live captioning will be available. For other accessibility requirements, please email engage@thesocialdeck.com or phone 0458 228 142 (business hours, AEST).
To register for this event, please visit:
https://events.humanitix.com/ddar-introduction-webinar
Hybrid community forums will also be held in each state and territory, and you can join in-person or online.
Public consultation is now open. You are encouraged to share your thoughts, insights and suggestions to help make sure the Act upholds the rights of people with disability.
When registering, please select whether you would prefer to attend in-person or online.
*Please note tickets are limited.
To register for an event, please click on the relevant link:
Hobart – Tuesday 19th August (1:30pm-5pm AEST) – https://events.humanitix.com/disability-discrimination-act-review-tas-hybrid-community-forum-hobart
Melbourne – Thursday 21st August (1:30pm-5pm AEST) – https://events.humanitix.com/disability-discrimination-act-review-vic-hybrid-community-forum-melbourne
Adelaide – Monday 25th August (1pm-4:30pm ACST) – https://events.humanitix.com/disability-discrimination-act-review-sa-hybrid-community-forum-adelaide
Brisbane – Thursday 28th August (1:30pm-5pm AEST) – https://events.humanitix.com/disability-discrimination-act-review-qld-hybrid-community-forum-brisbane
Darwin – Thursday 4th September (1:30pm-5pm ACST) – https://events.humanitix.com/disability-discrimination-act-review-northern-territory-hybrid-community-forum-darwin-garramilla
Sydney – Monday 8th September (1:30pm-5pm AEST) – https://events.humanitix.com/disability-discrimination-act-review-new-south-wales-hybrid-community-forum-sydney-warrang
Canberra – Monday 15th September (1pm-4:30pm AEST) – https://events.humanitix.com/disability-discrimination-act-review-australian-capital-territory-hybrid-community-forum-canberra-ngunnawal-ngambri
Perth – Friday 19th September (1:30pm-5pm AWST) – https://events.humanitix.com/disability-discrimination-act-review-western-australia-hybrid-community-forum-perth-boorloo
It is wonderful to see this initiative being implemented – particularly with Dr Dinesh Palipana OAM and Mandy Frier involved, both of whom were guest speakers at our “Fair and Accessible Healthcare” webinar earlier this week.
“Queensland Health has launched an online course to increase health worker confidence, knowledge, and skills to support consumers with disability.
This training is designed for all Queensland Health staff regardless of role, location, level or experience.
People with disability often face significant barriers when accessing healthcare and health services.
The course will provide health staff with:
The Australian Government is reviewing the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 in a move to ensure that it is working to protect people with disability.
As part of this process, public consultations have now launched and will be open for 12 weeks – closing on 24 October 2025.
The government invites the following groups to share their views on this important area for reform:
Consultations will be run both as in-person and online events, with more information available on the Attorney-General’s Department website – https://www.ag.gov.au/rights-and-protections/human-rights-and-anti-discrimination/australias-anti-discrimination-law/review-disability-discrimination-act
Initially, you can get involved through:
or by
To automatically receive updates as the review progresses (including information about upcoming consultation events), you can register at https://app.vision6.com.au/em/forms/subscribe.php?db=875028&s=926311&a=120874&k=ANKRxcAGh1U3b-sExDmfCIjDpnQdzabUvgK7hq_bPY4
For more information, please visit:
We’re in the process of updating our records so that we have our members’ current details. And we’re always happy to welcome new members who are looking for a friendly and supportive disability community.
So, whether you’ve moved, changed your phone number or are you now using a new email, or whether you’d like to join as a new member, take advantage of our current promo and you could wina $100 Prezzee gift card.
For existing members:
Even if your details haven’t changed, YOU WILL STILL BE ENTERED IN TO THE DRAW IF YOUR DETAILS ARE THE SAME…AS LONG AS YOU UPDATE BY visiting pda.org.au/membership/.
Make sure that you click on the “I am an existing member updating my details” box.
For new members signing up:
Take advantage of our annual membership update and sign up now? New members will go in to a separate draw for a $100 Prezzee gift card.
To become a member you MUST BE AN AUSTRALIAN RESIDENT.
As well as Australians living with physical disability, we also welcome their families, friends, carers, support workers, providers and anyone with a positive interest in supporting our country’s disability community.
SIGN UP for FREE MEMBERSHIP NOW by going to pda.org.au/membership/ and we’ll throw your name in the entry bucket.
Make sure that you click on the “I am a new member” box.
One person from each category (existing and new members) will be drawn by random generator on Monday 18th August 2025, with winners announced on PDA’s socials.
Thanks for your help and good luck!
A deserving recipient.
“Curated by Diversability, this global list recognises 30 disabled leaders each year who are creating impact across advocacy, policy, innovation, and community building.
Included alongside many incredible changemakers from around the world, Tim’s efforts and contribution both to the Australian and international disability stage are commendable.
As a disabled scientist and advocate, Tim believes that inclusion and innovation go hand in hand. From working to make science more accessible through initiatives like the racinational ChemAbility Network, to advancing youth leadership on global platforms such as the Commonwealth Youth Code of Practice and the gnypwd Global Network of Young Persons with Disabilities, he’s seen firsthand the power of collective action to create real change.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/DMJ8eBzzSvf/?igsh=MTA2aGc3dmUzMzJxdg==
Melanie Hawkes wears many hats, including PDA’s WA Director and the person who bravely shared her sexual journey as a woman living with disability, reigniting a worldwide conversation around disability rights, intimacy and pleasure.
Her most recent chapter saw her being awarded the Jennifer Burbidge Short Story Award for people with disabilities at the WillyLit Festival in Victoria on Saturday 21st June.
Her winning entry, titled “A New Chapter In My Life”, was about her first session with a sex worker at age 43.
Announced at the awards ceremony, Melanie won first place in her category, with prizes of $500, an anthology of all the shortlisted stories and a certificate.
Her story can be downloaded from the WillyLitFest website:
www.willylitfest.org.au/jennifer-burbidge-writing-award
Click on ”SEE THE 2025 ADA AWARDS SHORTLIST”
Due to the SEXUALLY EXPLICIT CONTENT there is a content WARNING – proceed with caution.
Melanie hopes that this piece will become chapter one of her planned memoir.
It is with great pleasure that we introduce Sarah McInnes, who joined the PDA team this week as Policy/Project Officer.
Sarah comes to us with a wealth of credentials, professional experience, personal understanding and a strong focus on creating positive change and improving services for people with disabilities.
She is a Law (Honours) graduate and passionate disability advocate with a strong background in stakeholder engagement, policy research, and administration. Her commitment to advancing human rights and equal opportunities is deeply informed by her own lived experience of disability.
Before joining Physical Disability Australia, she worked across multiple roles at Disability Rights Advocacy Service, where she facilitated self-advocacy workshops, led stakeholder engagement with councils and service providers, and contributed to impactful law reform and policy submissions. Her role also included direct advocacy support for individuals navigating complex systems including the NDIS, Centrelink, housing, employment, and education.
With a proven ability to liaise with diverse stakeholders, including people with disability, carers, families, service providers and policymakers, Sarah is dedicated to ensuring that the voices of Australians with disability are heard and reflected in policy decisions. She brings a deep understanding of the systemic challenges faced by the disability community and is committed to creating lasting, inclusive change.
In addition to her professional experience, Sarah has been published in the Law Society of South Australia Bulletin for her article on forced sterilisation of women and girls with disabilities and was an editor for the University of South Australia Law Review.
Outside of work, Sarah enjoys reading, watching Disney classics, and attending musicals. She finds joy and inspiration in storytelling, whether on the page or stage, and values the way creative arts bring people together and spark conversations about identity, inclusion, and belonging.
PDA’s CEO, Jeremy Muir, looks forward to working with Sarah and utilising her experiences and skill set. “On behalf of the PDA Board and its staff, I welcome Sarah to our team. I am sure that her genuine interest in the disability space, expertise and skills will add to our organisation’s strength and abilities as we move forwards.”
Welcome Sarah. We are sure that you will be a valued asset to Physical Disability Australia.
We strongly believe that knowledge is power and that the sharing of experiences, advice and understanding is paramount to empowerment and belonging.
The team here at PDA is very proud of the community of members, supporters and followers who we travel with on our journey to amplify the voices of Australians living with physical disability and make a difference in their lives.
Our blogs, webinars, social posts and systemic advocacy work together make our organisation truly representative of and responsive to our community.
We love doing what we do, but it’s always nice to be recognised.
Today we received a wonderful email from the founder of Feedspot acknowledging us as a panelist (https://www.pda.org.au/blog/) in the Top 35 Australian Disability Blogs on the web (https://bloggers.feedspot.com/australian_disability_blogs/).
As an organisation with considerably less staff and financial resources than others on the list, we are incredibly grateful for this accolade and thank all of you who read and enjoy our blogs and posts.
A big thank you too, to our blog contributors who share their experiences and advice.
If you have something to share as a blog, or if you have a topic that you’d like us to cover, please send us an email to promotion@pda.org.au, leave us a comment or send us a message.
Together let’s build and support our community.
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.
1800 732 674
