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/.
Written by Sean Tyrell, PDA Associate Director Victoria
Many PDA members are aware that the Parliament has passed legislative amendments intended to make it easier for victims of sexual harassment, discrimination and victimisation to enforce our rights in the Federal Court. The law has been changed so that the payment of legal costs no longer follows the outcome of a case.
For many decades, the prospect of paying the other side’s legal costs if I lost a disability discrimination case deterred me from going any further than alternative dispute resolution. But over the past few months, I have gone forward with an application to the Federal Court for an Order declaring that the National Disability Insurance Agency contravened the Disability Discrimination Act by failing to make the reasonable adjustment of providing correspondence in accessible format. The PDA membership is perhaps one of the few audiences who won’t be surprised that I’m one of many blind NDIS Participants who gets sent his Plans and other vital information in print – despite my years of asking for it in a format I can actually read.
My reflections on how the cost protection amendments have changed things are mixed.
First, I’ve certainly found it true that Parliament limiting the other side’s threat to seek a costs order against me has significantly levelled the playing field. It has both made me a lot bolder in advocating for fair treatment while simultaneously focussing the other side on the need to resolve matters without a trial.
Second, it is early days and the impact of the costs protections amendments is still filtering through legal professionals. I’ve been advised that so far no one has asked a Judge to apply the new laws, and everyone is therefore waiting for someone else to go first. As a result, barristers are taking a careful line and advising clients to proceed with caution.
Third, as good as the cost protection amendments are they are not a silver bullet for overcoming the deeper problems with the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 and Australia’s other rights protection statutes. This might mean that all the Parliament has really done is make it easier for people with a disability to lose test cases that our community might assume we would win. While for many years I’ve listened to lawyers warn me about the dangers of an adverse costs order, I’m now hearing warnings that the definitions of direct and indirect disability discrimination are so narrow that it makes it virtually impossible to win.
Fourth and final – and somewhat contrary to all the above – the Court itself does give off a strong vibe that it wants to get more active in protecting the rights of Australians with a disability. To my utter amazement, within just a few weeks of me lodging my application I got a call from the Judge’s office advising he wanted to start hearing the case as soon as possible. A month or two after that the Court doubled down by connecting me with pro bono lawyers from a large and formidable firm. I’m also hearing reports that some Judges and Court employees have been undertaking disability confidence training.
In the end, the proof will be in the pudding. While there’s certainly been useful cases since Parliament passed the Disability Discrimination Act 1992, I think it’s fair to say physical disability is still waiting for our Mabo or Richardson v Oracle. Let’s see which member of our PDA community will be first to pick up a hammer and swing it with all her might.
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.
It’s happening on Monday 6th April.
PLEASE BE AWARE THAT YOUR LOCAL TIME MAY HAVE CHANGED DUE TO THE END OF DAYLIGHT SAVINGS AND THE CLOCKS GOING BACK:
6pm NSW/VIC/ACT/TAS/QLD
5:30pm SA/NT
4:00pm WA
Our Social Hours are held on the first Monday of the month and are a great chance to hang out with some wonderful people for a chat, laugh, sharing and advice.
If you haven’t yet joined us at a Social Hour, we encourage you to check it out.
If you’re one of our regulars, we look forward to seeing you there.
To register, go to:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYqc–qqjkjG903J2KoieI9ASVSig7b4mxr?os=ipad#/registration
PDA’s Deferred AGM (financial year 2024/25) is scheduled for Thursday 23rd April at 6:30pm AEDT and will be held via MS Teams.
Part of the agenda involves finding Directors for both South Australia and the Northern Territory.
The Board is calling on people living with a physical disability who are residing in the NT or SA to nominate for these positions.
If you are eligible and interested in joining PDA’s Board, want to make a positive contribution to Australia’s disability sector and are eager to be part of a recognised and well respected disability representative organisation, we invite you to nominate.
You do need to be a Full PDA member (person living with a physical disability) but, if you’re not already part of our organisation, you can sign up for free membership by going to www.pda.org.au/membership. Once you have done so, please email promotion@pda.org.au to express your interest in nominating for either the SA or NT Directorship.
Existing PDA Members have been emailed information on this upcoming meeting – including Nomination and Proxy Forms. Please fill in the required form and return as per the detailed instructions. If you are a PDA Member and have not yet received this correspondence, please let us know by emailing promotion@pda.org.au.
Nominations must be received by close of business (5pm AEST) Thursday 16th April 2026.
Notice is hereby given that the Deferred Annual General Meeting of Physical Disability Australia Ltd (financial year 2024/25) will now be held on:
Thursday 23rd April 2026
6:30pm to 7pm AEDT
Location – Online via MS Teams
PDA Members have been emailed information on this upcoming meeting. If you are a PDA Member and have not yet received this correspondence, please let us know by emailing promotion@pda.org.au.
We look forward to seeing Members at this meeting.
1800 732 674
