“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“
Today is International Day of People with Disability.
A special and important day to celebrate our community, and promote awareness, understanding and acceptance of people with disability.
Together let’s remind the world, that true social progress only happens when every individual, regardless of ability, has the opportunity to participate fully and equally in society.
On Saturday 6th December 2025, PDA will be holding its Annual General Meeting and encourages Members to attend via Zoom.
Hear what we’ve been up to in 2025 and what our plans are moving forwards.
PDA’s Ambassador, Dr Dinesh Palipana OAM, will be joining us and sharing his thoughts around issues affecting our community now and into 2026.
Our Annual General Meeting will be a great chance for Members to be an active part of the PDA community and help our organisation move in to its 31st year.
Register your attendance
To register to attend our AGM via Zoom, please go to:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/JAuZAeuaRJi9-31_FUlozA
If you don’t have a Zoom account, signing up is free, quick and easy. Go to https://zoom.us/signup and create an account.
Please make sure to visit https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/JAuZAeuaRJi9-31_FUlozA to register for the AGM once you have created a Zoom account.
If you experience problems or have any questions, please email us at promotion@pda.org.au or call 1800 PDA ORG (1800 732 674).
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
Meeting documents will be circulated ahead of the AGM.
PDA Board Nominations
At this year’s AGM, Nick Schumi is reaching the end of his current 3-year term as SA Director, and there are vacancies for the roles of Director (NT), Associate Director (NT) and Associate Director (WA).
Full members wishing to nominate for any of these roles need to complete and return the ‘Nomination Form’ by close of business on Friday 28 November.
Similarly, if you wish to appoint a proxy to vote on your behalf, you need to complete and return the ‘Appointment of Proxy Form’ by close of business on Friday 28 November.
We look forward to you joining us at our AGM and saying “hi”.
PDA’s CEO, Jeremy Muir, states “we believe that QLD’s opting out of the Livable Housing Design Standard (LHDS) would be a giant step backwards not only for Queenslanders living with a disability, but for the community in general – whether at this time or in the future.
With an ageing population, the Brisbane Paralympics being held in 2032, and QLD’s population growth heavily influenced by people from the southern states moving to QLD to enjoy our lifestyle, this move appears counter-productive, bad business and not forward thinking.
We stand by QDN’s statement that “accessible housing isn’t a luxury, it is a basic human right”. “
qdn.org.au/our-advocacy/campaigns/elections/keep-livable-design-standards/
“I was recently denied access to a life saving mammogram on the basis that I couldn’t complete a ‘standing transfer’. I believe this was a direct result of assumption and ignorance. Mammograms can be performed from a wheelchair. I know this because I insisted on one, and it was done with little additional fanfare or adjustment required. Imagine my surprise some 3 weeks later only to be recalled and diagnosed with an aggressive Stage 2, triple-positive breast cancer. I didn’t even have a lump!
This experience is not unique to me. Across Australia, access to breast screening services for people with disability is a postcode lottery. The status quo is a patchwork of inconsistent policies, outdated assumptions, and infrastructure that fails to accommodate powered chairs or those who cannot stand.
One state requires transfer into a manual wheelchair, another excludes electric wheelchairs altogether. Some states publish vague caveats like “it may not be possible.” Meanwhile, the equipment and procedures themselves are often not the issue, social bias, lack of knowledge and attitude are the real issues.
This is why I believe we urgently need a national protocol to ensure equal access to healthcare services for people with disabilities. Life-saving services such as mammograms should not be contingent on geography, mobility, or someone’s ability to “fit” a guideline. I am living proof that accessible imaging is possible.
~ Carol Taylor
Join us on Tuesday 5th August at 6pm AEST, to hear Carol and other noteworthy speakers talk about “fair and equitable healthcare”.
We look forward to you joining us for this incredibly important discussion to explore what is and isn’t working in the provision of healthcare for people living with disability in our country.
To register go to:
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_6zzLprNATDeWu1GD8ARb5A
On registering, we also invite you to share any questions that you would like to ask our speakers. You can choose to remain anonymous in asking these questions.
The opportunity to ask questions will also be made available during the webinar. However, please be mindful that these questions will be answered dependent on time constraints.
These roles provide a great opportunity to become part of a hardworking, fun team that works for the benefit of all Australians living with physical disability.
So what’s involved?
We are looking for someone with lived experience of physical disability who:
If this sounds like something you’d like to be part of or you’d like to hear more, please email jeremy.muir@pda.org.au.
We look forward to hearing from you.
The NDIS was created to change lives. And for many of us, it has. It’s become a beacon in the darkness – the one part of government that consistently acknowledges our existence, our needs, and our right to support.
But the truth is, the NDIS can’t do it all. It wasn’t designed to carry every responsibility. And yet, for years, it’s been the only part of government where people with disability have had focused political attention. Why? Because for too long, we’ve had a Minister for the NDIS, but not a Minister for Disability.
And that needs to change.
We Don’t Just Need a Portfolio. We Need Representation.
A Minister for Disability isn’t just a title. It’s a commitment to visibility. It’s a declaration that people with disability are part of this country’s social fabric — not just participants in a program.
This Minister would:
Right now, disability is often treated as an add-on or delegated downward to individual schemes. And yet the need for coordinated support – and real leadership – has never been more urgent.
Representation in Parliament Matters
In 2017, when Senator Jordon Steele-John entered the Senate as Australia’s youngest-ever senator and first wheelchair user in Parliament, something shifted. Not just because of what he said – but because of what he represented. He didn’t just talk about disability rights. He lived them. He led the charge for the Royal Commission. He’s held governments to account on the NDIS. And he’s pushed for reform that reflects the lived experience of our community.
Now, he’s one of the most respected crossbench senators in the country – and is being discussed as a future leader of the Greens. If that happens, it will be a milestone: a person with a disability leading a major Australian political party. Though it does make sense. He has more experience than most and has spent longer in parliament than Bill Shorten when he took leadership of the Labour Party.
And just last month, Ali France – a fierce disability advocate and woman with a physical disability – was elected to the House of Representatives, removing the leader of the opposition from his seat. Two firsts. With her in the House and Jordon in the Senate, we finally have visible representation in both chambers of Parliament.
That matters. Because when people with disability are in the room, the conversation changes.
The only thing more powerful than having disabled people in Parliament?
Having one as Minister for Disability and the NDIS.
My Experience: Shut Out of the Senate
Last year, when the Senate held the final vote on the Getting the NDIS Back on Track bill, I was there – but I couldn’t be in the room.
Not because I wasn’t welcome. But because the public gallery is not accessible.
I was with others in powerchairs. The only place for us to sit blocked a stairwell – a fire hazard. One wrong move of a joystick, and someone could’ve ended up down the stairs. In fact, I joked grimly that they might’ve landed in Senator Hanson’s lap – something none of us wanted to explain.
We found space in the left gallery, with better visibility. But Senate rules required us to leave before the vote. We were asked to go – not because we’d done anything wrong, but because protocol made no room for us.
That day, I felt like an outsider in my own democracy. I’ve always been proud to be Australian. But that moment shook something in me. I was reminded that for all our talk of inclusion, access still isn’t guaranteed – even in the heart of our Parliament.
A Minister for Disability, someone with the authority and experience to fight for accessibility in Parliament and beyond, would mean no one else is shut out the way we were.
Moving Beyond the NDIS – Toward Inclusive Governance
The NDIS is a critical support, but it cannot be the only thing people with disability rely on.
We need:
We also need to stop putting the burden of reform on exhausted advocates and overstretched organisations. Representation, resourcing, and reform must go hand-in-hand.
What Comes Next?
At Physical Disability Australia, we’re helping build a national campaign — one that centres disabled leadership, unifies community voices, and calls for structural change.
We’re working towards :
Because disability policy shouldn’t start and stop with a funding scheme. It should be woven into the structure of a fair, inclusive, and just Australia.
How can you help?
You can join us here, as a member, or as a supporter.
We can work together for good.
Blog image borrowed from https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/come-clean-treasurer-jim-chalmers-demands-coalition-clarify-proposal-to-slash-ndis/ylywsad24
“Tuesday 25 March 2025, 9pm
Tonight’s Federal Budget raises more questions than answers about how people with disability are going to be supported through the government’s major reforms to the NDIS.
Cuts to the NDIS have been outlined, as expected, with the Federal Government projecting almost $1 billion in immediate savings over the next financial year.
$364.5 million has been set aside for general supports – to fund services for those no longer eligible for the NDIS. This is the first time a dollar value has been provided, and it’s positive to see.
Yet the Budget does not outline whether or not this funding is contingent on states and territories matching it. Cutting the NDIS without establishing robust alternatives is leaving people with disability with nowhere to turn.
Disability support services are not optional – they are essential for daily life. People with disability rely on them to get out of bed, shower, go to work or school, and participate in their communities.
Without adequate support, people with disability face disproportionate poverty, cost-of-living pressures, and exclusion.
In key Budget cost-of-living measures, people living with disability are absent. In Australia’s housing strategy, there is no mention of accessibility.
People with disability are missing in this budget. Just 18 months after Australia’s ‘landmark’ 4-year $600 million Disability Royal Commission, it is like it never happened.
The Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability was billed as a transformative opportunity for our community to be heard. Yet in this Budget, it hasn’t even rated a mention.
People living with disability appear largely invisible in the Federal Government’s financial path forward for Australia. Are we really back here?
THIS STATEMENT HAS BEEN ENDORSED BY:
INTERVIEWEES AVAILABLE:
As of 4th March 2025, new rules have been in effect to make NDIS plan decisions clearer and fairer.
These changes are geared towards ensuring your plan works for you and your needs.
Changes to plan management
With clearer rules now in place, for the NDIS to determine if an unreasonable risk exists around the way in which your funding is being managed.
A risk is only considered unreasonable if there are no supports or safeguards to help manage it.
If they believe that there is an unreasonable risk, the way in which your funding is being managed may need to be re-evaluated.
However, the NDIS will first look at ways to support you before making any changes.
This may include looking at extra supports, guidance or safeguards to help you stay in control of your funding.
If a change is required, they will talk to you first and explain why.
If you don’t agree, you can ask for a review.
Updates to plan changes
The NDIS now has clearer processes in place for making changes to a plan. The new rules clarify when and how we can vary or reassess a participant’s plan.
Plans can still be changed by:
These updates ensure plan changes happen in a fair and consistent way, making sure your supports match your needs.
You can still ask for updates to your plan at any time.
What this means for you
If your needs change, you can ask for changes to your plan.
The NDIS will work with you on any changes and explain our decisions.
They have updated their policies and guidelines to align with these new rules.
Visit the NDIS website [https://ndis.gov.au/changes-ndis-legislation] for more information about the rules and what they mean for you.
People with disability can sometimes be vulnerable to unfair treatment at work. As people living with disability, we’ve all heard the stories – some of us might even have personal experience of poor treatment.
On Wednesday 19th March at 6:30pm (AEST) – Joseph Mitchell, Assistant Secretary of the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU), will be joining us to talk about the work unions are doing to ensure the rights of workers are upheld including specific work that supports people with disability.
It is important to remember that everyone has a number of basic rights at work, including:
Without the work of unions and union members over the last century, we wouldn’t have many of the conditions we take for granted today – the eight hour day, paid sick leave, parental leave, superannuation, penalty rates and fair pay.
This webinar is a must for anyone interested gaining a better understanding of workplace rights. Even if you are retired, you might pick up important points that could help friends and family members.
To register for this webinar, go to: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_bOuj9sSPTF6pF4dRKiBfvA
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.
If you have any questions around employment that you would like Joseph to answer, please email promotion@pda.org.au or ask a question via the online chat during the webinar.
1800 732 674
