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?
Another federal election done and dusted.
Let’s hope that this brings an outcome that makes life better for all Australians – including those living with disability.
Whilst we wait to see where our country goes from here, we’d love to hear how your voting experience went.
Did you use a postal vote, attend an early voting station, take advantage of mobile voting or other accessible options, or did you make it along to a polling place on election day and reward yourself with a democracy sausage?
Was your voting stress free or did you have to navigate around accessibility and playing your part in the democratic process?
We’d love to hear about your experiences, so that we can tell the Australian Electoral Commission what is and isn’t working for Australia’s disability community at election time.
Congratulations to Ali France on winning the seat of Dickson.
With her campaign having been focused on accessibility and inclusion, alongside her lived experience as an amputee and para-athlete, Australia’s disability community looks forward to finally having a voice at the table.
Hopefully Government will now be led by the Disability Royal Commission’s recommendation for establishment of a Department of Disability Equality and Inclusion and the introduction of a Minister for Disability Inclusion portfolio.
A big congratulations also to Senator Jordon Steele-John for being re-elected at Saturday’s federal elections.
Thank you for all that you’ve done so far for Australia’s disability community and for all that you’ll continue to bring to your position moving forwards.
1800 732 674
