Strengthening Disability Advocacy Conference 2018
Doing disability differently

Friday 14th September, 2018 | NAB The Hall , 700 Bourke Street, Docklands

This event has concluded.
For more information about the event, access to resources and to read the transcripts, please click here.

Conference News

About

It’s an election year in Victoria. This conference is a platform to let our politicians know about what needs to change for people with disability. It’s time to celebrate diversity and showcase a range of perspectives while keeping a keen focus on what needs to change.

Although many specialist disability services are funded through the NDIS, the NDIS approach is to maximise participants’ access to mainstream programs. How do community organisations learn how to be more inclusive? And what are the barriers preventing full participation of people with disability? Basically, the answer is attitudes. Changing attitudes is difficult. It requires consistent and targeted campaigns.

There have been some successful perception changing campaigns recently with the ‘Vote yes’ for same sex marriage equality, the ‘white ribbon’ campaign to raise awareness about the consequences of family violence and historically with the ‘Slip, slop, slap’ and ‘Quit’ campaigns that educated the community and change behaviour and attitudes in mainstream society.

Doing Disability Differently will feature a keynote address, debate, plenary and panel sessions that investigate how the power and diversity of disability identity and pride might be harnessed to affect real change to promote flexibility, respect and humanity for people with disability in the community.

This conference is for anyone who is interested in strengthening and upholding the rights of people with disability.

Reflections from SDAC18

It’s all over for 2018. Marie McInerney was the roving reporter for the day. Check out what delegates were anticipating and what presenters were saying behind the scenes in her series of interviews.

Keep up to date with the latest conference news on X (formerly twitter)

#SDAC2018

Program

Friday 14th September, 2018

Registration

Time: 8:30am - 9:30am

Location: Foyer

As delegates were arriving, Marie McInerney, the roving reporter for the day, asked people why they were attending and what they expected to gain by participating. here’s what they said…

Welcome

Time: 9:30am - 9:50am

Location: The Hall

Facilitated by: Wayne Herbert, Disability Activist, Author and Presenter

Wayne Herbert, Disability Activist, Author and Comedian is the MC for the day and will introduce the conference theme. This is followed by a ‘Welcome to Country’ presented by an Elder from Wurundjeri Land & Compensation Cultural Heritage Council Aboriginal Corporation.

Opening address

Time: 9:50am - 10:10am

Location: The Hall

Speaker: Gabrielle Williams MP, Parliamentary Secretary for Health, Parliamentary Secretary for Carers and Volunteers

An update from the Victorian Government Details to be confirmed.

Keynote address: Discrimination, Bullying and Community Attitudes

Time: 10:15am - 11:00am

Location: The Hall

Speaker: Professor Anne Kavanagh, Academic Director, Melbourne Disability Institute

Academic Director of the newly established Melbourne Disability Institute, Professor Anne Kavanagh will talk about the academic research happening around Australia bullying, discrimination and violence experienced by people with disability. She will also discuss how community attitudes towards people with disability affect their life opportunities and health and wellbeing.

Morning tea

Time: 11:00am - 11:30am

Location: Foyer

Empowered Lives: A Platform demanding Change for Victorians with a Disability

Time: 11:30am - 12:30pm

Location: The Hall

Speaker: Bryce Pace, Autism Advocate
Speaker: Victoria Strachan, Diversity Field Officer Coordinator, Australian Federation of Disability Organisations (AFDO)
Speaker: Susan Arthur, President, Reinforce

Victorian Council of Social Services, as a part of its Collaborative Systemic Disability Advocacy Project, brought together all the Disability Advocacy organisations in Victoria to discuss what their top ten asks for the Victorian Government to consider in the fast approaching November election- here is what is needed to make a change.

The Great Debate: Is the Development of Our Disability Pride and Identity at Risk by placing all the focus on mainstreaming people with disability in society?

Time: 1:30pm - 2:30pm

Location: The Hall

Facilitated by: Colleen Furlanetto, Disability Commissioner, Commercial Passenger Vehicles Victoria & Chair of Victorian Disability Advisory Council

Speaker: Cate Dunn, Youth Advocate
Speaker: Caroline Bowditch, Executive Director, Arts Access Victoria
Speaker: John Baxter,
Speaker: Jason McCurry, Sports Officer, RMIT University

Two teams will present arguments for and against this statement. It will be up to YOU to decide the winner.

Afternoon tea

Time: 2:30pm - 3:00pm

Location: Foyer

Special screening of ‘Jeremy the Dud’. It’s a comedy set in a world where everyone has a disability, and those that don’t are treated with the same prejudice, stigma and condescending attitudes people with disabilities face in our own society. Watch trailer

Selling the Unsellable: Marketing Disability

Time: 3:00pm - 4:00pm

Location: The Hall

Facilitated by: Chloe Hayden, Actor and Advocate

Speaker: Ben Flynn, Marketing and Public Relations Manager, genU
Speaker: Adam Ferrier, Consumer Psychologist, Co-Founder of Thinkerbell
Speaker: Nicole Lee, Advocate

We have seen perceptions and behaviour change through campaigns such as the QUIT campaign, Slip Slop Slap campaigns, marriage equality and family violence. So what will it take to shift the historic attitudes of deficit towards people with disabilities to an acceptance of ability?

Closing address

Time: 4:00pm - 4:00pm

Location: The Hall

Speaker: Wayne Herbert, Disability Activist, Author and Presenter

A wrap of the day’s proceedings and some key ‘take home’ messages.

Adam Ferrier, Consumer Psychologist, Co-Founder of Thinkerbell

Selling the Unsellable: Marketing Disability

Thinkerbell is an agency that fuses together marketing sciences and hard-core creativity – or as we like to put it – ‘Measured Magic’. He is one of Australia's most awarded and recognised creative strategists, and author of 'The Advertising Effect: How to change behaviour'.

Selling the Unsellable: Marketing Disability

Ben is the Executive Producer of Jeremy the Dud, a short film that creates a world where everyone has a disability except for those referred to as ‘without specialty’ or ‘Duds’. The film’s trailer has had over 10 million views online since November 2017 and changed the way people are talking about disability.

Empowered Lives: A Platform demanding Change for Victorians with a Disability

Bryce Pace is an up and coming advocate for acceptance and inclusion. He was diagnosed with autism at the age of nine and has experienced firsthand the tribulations of being labelled a disability student within the primary school system.

The Great Debate: Is the Development of Our Disability Pride and Identity at Risk by placing all the focus on mainstreaming people with disability in society?

After 16 years living and working in the U.K. Caroline Bowditch has recently returned to Australia to take up the role as Executive Director at Arts Access Victoria. She is best known as a performer, maker, teacher, speaker and mosquito buzzing in the ears of the arts industry in the UK and further afield.

The Great Debate: Is the Development of Our Disability Pride and Identity at Risk by placing all the focus on mainstreaming people with disability in society?

Cate is from regional Victoria. Growing up Deaf she’s become an avid advocate for equity and social justice. Cate recently attended the Global Young Leaders Conference in Washington DC and has participated in the Victorian Youth Parliament in 2017 and 2018 with the first ever Deaf team to be involved - Deafhood.

Chloe Hayden, Actor and Advocate

An ambassador for Yellow Ladybugs, Aspergers Victoria and Treehouse Geelong, Chloe dedicates her life to being a role model, advocate and encourager to children and adults alike on the Autism spectrum, helping their families to see through and get a greater understanding.

Colleen Furlanetto, Disability Commissioner, Commercial Passenger Vehicles Victoria & Chair of Victorian Disability Advisory Council

Colleen Furlanetto has significant experience in the health and local government sectors. As Disability Commissioner for Commercial Passenger Vehicles Victoria, Colleen’s focus is on accessibility matters.

Opening address

MP Gabrielle Williams will present in place of the MP Martin Foley who is committed elsewhere. MP Williams will present on the importance of the disability advocacy sector working together...

The Great Debate: Is the Development of Our Disability Pride and Identity at Risk by placing all the focus on mainstreaming people with disability in society?

Jason was diagnosed with a neurological/psychosocial disability, Tourette's Syndrome, when he was in primary school, however, he has never let this control his life or affect his high ambitions within life. He is passionate about advocating for and ensuring everyone in life can achieve their full potential, despite their disability.

The Great Debate: Is the Development of Our Disability Pride and Identity at Risk by placing all the focus on mainstreaming people with disability in society?

John is an Aboriginal man, born with a disability, in the small Victorian country town of Robinvale. John says, "My identity is the core of who I am as a human being, so not growing up with family and culture severed any links to my cultural roots, roles and responsibilities". His life journey then is reconnection, "I continue to learn, yarn with my mob about our culture, history, protocols, the past and the future".

Selling the Unsellable: Marketing Disability

Nicole, who also uses a wheelchair, focuses on family violence perpetrated against those who have a disability, or who depend on carers or family members for support.

Keynote address: Discrimination, Bullying and Community Attitudes

Professor Anne Kavanagh is the inaugural Chair of Disability and Health at the Melbourne School of Population and Global Health at the University of Melbourne. She is Academic Director of...

Empowered Lives: A Platform demanding Change for Victorians with a Disability

Susan is 33 years old and passionate about helping people with disabilities. She is currently a volunteer as a self-advocate with Reinforce where she is in her second year as elected President. Her passion is to make the world a better place for parents with intellectual disabilities and hopes that one day parents with I.D. can keep their children with the support they need. Her passion grew from her grandmother who also was very passionate about people with disabilities not living in institutions and all the other areas of human rights. Susan also runs a new group called The Powerful Parents Self Advocacy Group.

Empowered Lives: A Platform demanding Change for Victorians with a Disability

Victoria is co-ordinating a two year State Government funded project “Improving the Accessibility of Greater Geelong and the Bellarine, an an initiative developed by AFDO Diversity Field Officer Service in conjunction with Deakin University.

Closing address

Wayne is back by popular demand - a prominent and outspoken international public speaker, presenter, advocate, and now writer promoting the rights of and opportunities for people with disability and people in the LGBTIQ community. Wayne is a solutions-focused thought leader. He knows there is much work to be done to improve the employment of people with disability. He knows all too well that as a country, Australia cannot let the skills and talents of people with disability go to waste. Wayne takes up speaking opportunities throughout Australia on issues of disability, diversity and human resources. Wayne’s entire career is focused on assisting people with disability into employment and training using his experience in all aspects of client relations, human resources, and business administration.

Venue

National Australia Bank have created a hub in Melbourne’s CBD with a range of meeting rooms and technologies available to NAB customers in a modern, architecturally interesting building.

The building design incorporates access features including talking lifts with tactile buttons, multiple accessible toilets on the same level as The Hall and safe taxi drop off and pick up point. Being located right next to Southern Cross station with entrance directly from the Bourke Street concourse further adds to the access credentials.

These facilities are offered to NAB not-for-profit customers free of charge. DARU is pleased to take advantage of this offer and we look forward to welcoming you here in September.

Getting There

The Hall is located on level 3. There are two main entrances:

Bourke Street concourse (the pedestrian bridge extension of Bourke Street) – level 2
Taxi drop off – level P1 (see taxi information below for details)

Look our for the volunteers wearing our striking, bright red conference vests – hard to miss them! They are helping out with ushering, registration and general assistance so please approach them if you need anything.

Here’s more information to assist your journey in getting there…

Train

Southern Cross Station is the nearest station which is very convenient as most metropolitan lines, and all regional lines, go through Southern Cross.

Coming from a train platform at Southern Cross Station:

Head to the northern end of the platform (the Etihad stadium end).
Take the lift up to the Bourke Street concourse.
Once you reach the concourse, turn left.

You should see the NAB building almost immediately as it is the first building on the right over the tracks. Once inside the very impressive atrium, take the escalator directly in front of you, or the lift on the right, up one level to The Hall.

Tram

Trams that stop at Southern Cross station include:

Spencer Street routes – 12, 48, 75, 96, 109 & City Circle
Collins Street routes – 11, 12, 42 & 109
Bourke Street routes – 86 & 96

Taxi

NAB 700 has a taxi drop off point at 700 Bourke Street which is located opposite the Channel Nine studios. The taxi rank located outside Platform 28 night club can also be used as a drop off point. The Platform 23 rank is recommended as the pick up point when booking taxis for return journeys home.

Getting to NAB from the Platform 23 rank:

Cross at the pedestrian lights.
Turn right and follow the footpath to the NAB entrance. You have arrived at level P1.
Go to level 3 using either the lift or escalator.
On level 3, The Hall is located to the right of the escalator.

Parking

Etihad Stadium’s car park provides 24-hour security and surveillance seven days a week. The fully covered and underground facility is located only a short walking distance from NAB.

Visit the website for information on rates or to book your space in advance online:
http://etihadstadium.com.au/car-park-options/

Note: Event discounts are only applicable for events held at the stadium.

Tickets

Payment Options

There are two payment options – both methods must be completed online via Eventbrite and include:

Credit card – this is the preferred payment method and transactions are made securely through PayPal.
Invoice – initiates a separate invoice to be sent to you from VCOSS. Please use the VCOSS invoice (not the Eventbrite invoice) for payment processing within your organisation. The Eventbrite invoice should be used only as a confirmation of registration.