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?
Go to
Join today.
You’ll be glad that you did.
Bond University (in conjunction with Professor Michelle McLean -Editor-in-Chief, Ms Elmarie Stander, Assistant Professor Jaclyn Szkwara, Associate Professor Allan Stirling, Dr Priya Iyer, Associate Professor Tanisha Jowsey, Dr Thomas Titus and PDA’s Ambassador, Dinesh Palipana) has had an invaluable resource published to support and inform those affected by spinal cord injury.
Stemming from an initial idea by Dinesh Palipana and Thomas Titus to create ‘something’ that would be useful to everyone affected by and involved with spinal cord injury, this publication contains information, resources, research and most importantly, personal, lived experiences, in one place.
The direct link to the book is:
www.bond.studium.pub/life-well-lived-with-spinal-cord-injuries
The Queensland Government’s Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) is undertaking a review of the Disability Parking Permit Scheme to identify opportunities to improve safe access to community facilities and services.
TMR administers the Australian Disability Parking Permit Scheme (the Scheme) and is conducting a review of the Scheme to inform further changes and guide necessary improvements.
The goals of this review are to:
The review is considering topics such as the permit application process, eligibility criteria, and options to strengthen compliance and enforcement.
As part of this project, people utilising the Disability Parking Permit Scheme are invited to participate in an online survey.
You can find this by going to:
The survey does not automatically collect personal details (such as your name and email address) unless you provide it yourself.
This survey will close on 22 May 2026.
Feedback from this survey will ensure the scheme continues to assist people with a disability to access community facilities and services.
We understand just how overwhelming and stressful this period is for people with disabilities. Seeing the issue constantly highlighted in the news and across social media can make it feel even more intense and isolating.
At Physical Disability Australia we are acutely aware that this can be traumatizing, so we are being careful to ensure that we keep you updated with the facts, while we spend our energy being as involved as we possibly can in the process, keeping abreast of the facts and sharing them as soon as we can, making sure your voices are heard, and protecting your rights. At the moment it is like having a shadow in your room you can’t quite identify – every fibre in your body feels like you are being threatened, but you don’t know what that threat looks like, what it is capable of doing, or what you need to do to banish it. It may be as simple as moonlight making you aware of a chair that needs to be moved so you don’t fall over it, or as complex as a league of ogres that are just waiting for you to make the wrong move. In this particular circumstance it will be something in between.
Our goal is to learn about this threat, find what parts are going to benefit you and what parts pose a risk. Then we will ensure you are aware of both: give you the tools the use the benefits, and gather your stories as our weapon to overcome the risks. Through this, we will be walking with you – not in front of you so that you can’t see where you are going, not behind you where it is safer, but beside you, with roadmap in hand, to guide you through it.
The journey begins. This is the speech from Minister Butler [Minister Butler speech at the National Press Club – 22 April 2026 | Health, Disability and Ageing Ministers | Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing] and a fact sheet [Securing the NDIS for future generations | Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing].
PDA will be meeting with the Minister in two weeks to learn about the rollout plan, and we will be sharing those details with you. in the interim, we will shortly have a section on our website for you to share your thoughts so that we can ensure you are heard. The link will be posted here as soon as it is up.
Kind Regards,
Suzanne Gearing
CEO
At last night’s AGM, the PDA Board farewelled one of its most valued and dedicated members, Nick Schumi.
Nick took on the role of SA Director in April 2017 and, over the years, has made a lasting and meaningful contribution to Physical Disability Australia.
During his time on the Board, he played a key role in strengthening and elevating PDA’s reputation, recognition, and national presence.
We farewell Nick with deep gratitude and respect. He leaves the organisation in a strong position, having mentored Krystal Matthews, who now steps into the roles of SA Director and Vice President.
We have no doubt that Nick will continue to make a significant impact, both professionally and personally, within the disability sector and beyond.
We wish him every success in his future endeavours.
Thank you Nick.
We look forward to seeing what lies ahead for you.
Last night, we successfully held our deferred AGM, and we offer our sincere gratitude to the many members who chose to join us.
Following the meeting, elections were conducted for the Executive Board.
We are thrilled to announce the newly appointed PDA Executive Team, whose energy and vision promise to lead us forward with renewed enthusiasm:
Paul Williamson – President
Krystal Matthews – Vice President
Tammy Milne – Treasurer
This provides us with a robust and energised leadership team, equipped with the skills and dedication needed to guide our organisation through this pivotal period.
We are confident that, together, we will continue to protect the rights of people with physical disability and seize new opportunities to make lasting, positive change.
“You can now watch the speech online (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VJa-mt-uTk) or read the transcript (Minister Butler speech at the National Press Club – 22 April 2026 | Health, Disability and Ageing Ministers | Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing)
The Minister spoke about the NDIS as one of Australia’s most important social programs and that it needs to be protected for people with permanent and significant disability.
As the NDIS is growing at a higher rate than expected and faster than any other similar programs, the long-term sustainability of the NDIS and its ability to support future generations, is at risk.
The Minister discussed the Australian Government’s plan to secure the future of the NDIS through 4 pillars:
The changes announced will not take effect until new legislation is introduced after the 2026-27 Budget.
It was also announced that, following consultation with people with disability and their families, carers and advocates, the rollout of new framework planning will be delayed until April 2027.
This will allow more time to listen to feedback, test proposed rules and processes, and share more detailed information about the transition.
In the meantime:
Physical Disability Australia has chosen not to contribute separately to the commentary at this stage, recognising that there is already much information to digest. We are aligned with the comments made by the disability organisations we work closely with, and as an overview direct your attention to the government resource found here:
https://www.health.gov.au/resources/publications/securing-the-ndis-for-future-generations
Today, we will join several other peak organisations to meet with Ministers Butler and McAllister to gain insights into how they envision this process rolling out. Our focus will be on ensuring that the voices of people with disabilities are heard and on collaborating with government to uphold their rights.
Once we have a clearer understanding of the transition and its impact, we will issue a statement to share this information. Additionally, we will establish a process for people with disability to share their concerns and stories with us, ensuring that their voices are represented throughout this process.
We will work closely with the government and other disability peak organisations to ensure your voice is heard, sharing fact-based information as it becomes available, and working tirelessly to protect your rights. For those interested in staying up to date on our activities, we will be sending out regular updates to our membership.
You can apply for membership here: https://www.pda.org.au/membership-application/.
PDA is entering an exciting new phase, with a re-energised board and a new CEO, and we are thrilled to introduce, as our new CEO, Suzanne Gearing.
Suzanne brings outstanding nonprofit leadership, advocacy expertise, and a passion for turning vision into action – the ideal formula to support PDA as we enter a new chapter in our mission to enable every Australian living with a physical disability to realise their full potential.
Suzanne has a strong commitment to sustainable growth, and a people-first culture rooted in equity and inclusion. With lived experience, boundless energy, and a drive to remove barriers, she deeply believes that everyone should have the opportunity to be fully included in all social, economic, and political aspects of life.
Suzanne also chairs the Board for Women with Disabilities ACT, serves on the Advisory Board of Dial-a-Mate Mental Health Support Services, and is an award-winning mentor and leader.
Please join us in welcoming Suzanne as we move towards a more inclusive, empowered future!
PDA Members are invited to attend our Deferred AGM (financial year 2024/25) scheduled for Thursday 23rd April at 6:30pm AEST – to be held via MS Teams.
To register your planned attendance (outlining any accessibility requirements):
* email promotion@pda.org.au, OR
* call 1800 732 674 (1800 PDA ORG).
Once you have registered, and a few days prior to the meeting, you will receive login details and meeting papers.
We look forward to seeing you at this meeting.
1800 732 674
