International Day of People with Disability (IDPwD) 2025: Highlights From the A Voice of Our Own National Online Conference
Thursday 4 December
On Wednesday 3 December 2025, People with Disability Australia (PWDA) hosted A Voice of Our Own, its second International Day of People with Disability (IDPwD) national online conference created by and for people with disability.
The conference consisted of:
- Acknowledgement of Country
- Dr Alastair McEwin AM – 2 Years on from DRC
- PWDA Member Panel
- Ruth O’Brien –
- PWDA Board Director Steph Travers – Reflections from COSP
PWDA Acting CEO Megan Spindler-Smith opened the conference, welcoming advocates, community leaders, artists and PWDA members from across the country to mark and celebrate IDPwD, our way.
Acknowledgement of Country – Daniel McDonald
An Acknowledgement of Country was delivered by PWDA member Daniel McDonald. Daniel, is a proud Gadigal and Wonnarua man, owner of Deadly Hand Talk and disability advocate.
Daniel shared a striking reflection on renewal and belonging, reminding participants:
Everyone is around you. You are never alone. Value the simplest of life’s pleasures. Find meaning in small things. And the magic in every experience. Start the new beginnings.
Interim PWDA President Daniel Flynn reinforced the importance of strengthening our community’s voice to ensure our experiences guide policy and systems change and championing a future where people with disability lead with pride and visibility and influence.
“We know our voices are strong, expert and diverse. Today we will use the opportunity of IDPwD to highlight some of the brilliant people in our community who are key to the advancement of advocacy in disability rights across Australia.”
Dr Alastair McEwin AM Pre-recorded Address
The conference featured a pre-recorded address from Dr Alastair McEwin AM, former Disability Discrimination Commissioner and Royal Commissioner. He described the mixed emotions felt two years after the Royal Commission’s final report.
There have been days where I’ve been somewhat optimistic about progress from that final report and there have been days when I have been in despair and felt like things aren’t progressing at all.
Despite frustrations, he expressed enduring hope rooted in the thousands of disabled people who contributed to the Commission.
“When I have those days of despair I go back to the final report and remind myself that thousands of disabled people poured their heart and soul into providing information and evidence to the Royal Commission. I remind myself that we have a very comprehensive outline of what disabled people told us about the massive failings of mainstream setting to include them.”
PWDA Member Panel – Advancing and Advocating for Disability Rights.
Next up in the conference was the PWDA member panel discussion on Advancing and Advocating for Disability Rights. Facilitated by Acting CEO Megan Spindler-Smith and featuring with Zoe Simmons, Ricki Spencer, Alexander Tofler, Tim Harte and newly elected PWDA Director Tahlia-Rose Vanissum.
The panelists shared their experiences in advocating for change, talked about ways to create fair and inclusive social policies, and discussed how our communities can work together. They also suggested steps we can take to help more people embrace “Nothing About Us, Without Us”.
Zoe Simmons shared how storytelling became her pathway, reminding us that every small action creates a ripple.
Ricki Spencer urged people to influence decisions in hospitals, councils and community services because “every voice counts.”
Alexander Tofler emphasised that lived experience itself is expertise.
Your story is evidence. Start with that and find your lane.
Tahlia-Rose shared their thoughts on how advocacy is grounded in cultural responsibility.
The moment you say ‘that harm is not normal,’ you are already an advocate.
Tim Harte reflected on acquiring disability at 19 and learning that advocacy is built on “persistence, solidarity and understanding the systemic context of our stories.”
Audience members also reflected in the chat their own advocacy journeys.
I am also extremely passionate about disability policy design and regulation and rights and committed to improving the lives of all individuals with disability. through sharing about my own disability journey and the barriers that I have faced throughout. I look forward to potentially connecting going forward.
My passion comes from my own lived experiences with systemic, organisational and societal failures along with surviving life with an incurable condition. My advocacy started with spreading awareness about hydrocephalus and brain injury. It has been amplified when I lost my job and recognised how important change in this area is. By no longer being silent but being vulnerable and speaking about it.
When discussing how to ensure all voices shape policy, the panel highlighted the need for meaningful co-design, structural reform and a refusal to accept tokenism. Alexander called for people with disability to be true partners in decision-making, while Tim highlighted the importance of removing participation barriers. Zoe emphasised the need to amplify marginalised voices, even when uncomfortable, and Ricki advocated for paid disability representation within local councils.
Looking ahead, Tim urged treating “Nothing About Us, Without Us” as non-negotiable, Tahlia-Rose highlighted the importance of making space for new leaders, and Zoe reminded us that public pressure is often what drives change.
You can complain a thousand times and nothing changes, until you make noise.
Ruth O’Brien – Disability, New Motherhood and Inaccessible Healthcare
Following the panel discussion, singer-songwriter Ruth O’Brien delivered a deeply moving presentation on disability, new motherhood, and the current inaccessibility of our healthcare systems. Ruth described the recent joy of her daughter’s early arrival, alongside frightening experiences in hospital where inaccessible environments left her feeling unsafe.
I didn’t feel safe in the hospital… That’s what you should feel when you are there.
Ruth urged greater inclusion of disabled parents in the design of baby products, health systems and support services.
Reflections from United Nations Conference of States Parties – Steph Travers
PWDA Board Director and Secretary, Steph Travers, shares reflections from attending the United Nations Conference of States Parties in New York earlier this year, highlighting how the personal stories shared there resonated most.
At the UN the stories that impacted me the most were not the big statements from national or international delegations. They were stories of individuals, local networks, not-for-profits and regional collectives who were driving change when national governments either can’t or won’t.
Steph also reflected that we often don’t discuss enough how deeply misinformed and disconnected the wider community is from the disability experience, emphasising the importance to allow people who aren’t disabled to hear our stories.
Steph then outlined four practical principles that we can all adopt to help share stories, foster allyship and promote greater inclusivity.
- Be a teacher. “We must all harness our inner teacher. Each story shared tells us how far we’ve come and also how far we have to go.”
- Facetime matters. “Words alone do not convey the complexity of our lives. People need to sit with us, hear us and witness the barriers we face.”
- Be a Karen. “Take up space and use your voice”.
- Stand together. “When one stands, we all stand.”
To close the event, Interim President Daniel Flynn reaffirmed PWDA’s commitment to member-led advocacy and returned to the core message that real progress happens when people with disability lead it. “Nothing About Us, Without Us”.
Watch the recording
If you’re not a PWDA member, join for free here.
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