10 June 2025
Blog by Deputy CEO, Megan Spindler-Smith
People with Disability Australia (PWDA) is proud to be on the ground at the United Nations Headquarters in New York for the 18th session of the Conference of States Parties to the CRPD (COSP18).
We’re here to amplify the voices of people with disability from Australia and around the world – and day one set the tone with powerful interventions, strong connections, and unwavering advocacy.
Getting Started: Connecting, Sharing, and (Mostly) Resisting the Gift Shop
Our delegation started Day One by linking up with other Australian Disability Representative Organisations (DROs) and civil society organisations. There was an instant buzz of energy; we were ready to share, listen, and stand together in our collective call for change.
We couldn’t resist a first visit to the UN Gift Shop (who could?). It’s packed with eye-catching human rights-themed books and art. It was tough not to max out our personal spending money on publications about global human rights conventions – a true treasure trove for any advocate.
Session 1: Pushing Back Against Anti-Diversity Politics and Economic Harm
Our own Megan Spindler-Smith kicked off COSP18 with a hard-hitting intervention in the first session: The Impact of Anti-Diversity Political Narratives and the Global Financial Situation on the Work of the Disability Community.
Watch Megan’s intervention here:
In this session we learnt about the global reality of anti-diversity and funding cuts, the rise in unpaid care labour, and efforts to re-medicalise and silence disabled people. Their message was clear – disability justice must be front and centre in a world that too often pushes us to the margins.
The session featured strong contributions from across Australia, including Jason McCurry (CYDA), Elly Desmarchelier (QAI) and Clare Gibellini (ILGA).
We heard intersectional stories of systemic injustice, including the forced displacement of disabled people, anti-migrant policies, and the global trend of aid budgets shifting from human rights to militarisation. Speakers also called for solidarity between disability and feminist movements and highlighted the increasing erasure of disabled voices from civil society through defunding.
Session 2: Rethinking Financing for Disability Rights
This session called for us to move beyond traditional funding models. We must fund communities directly, support grassroots leadership, and build systems grounded in the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD).
Jane Spring shared the importance of flexible, disability-led funding models through government – showing how they can empower our communities and create sustainable change.
Meanwhile, Megan and Tahlia-Rose headed off to deliver PWDA’s very own side event – a bold and engaging session that sparked real conversation and connection.
Side Event Spotlights: Learning and Unlearning
Steph Travers attended two standout events:
- Personal Assistance Schemes: This session compared Australia’s NDIS with South Korea’s Personal Budget Plan. Both shift away from the medical model and place control in the hands of people with disability.
- Access to Justice: This session – hosted by Switzerland – focused on reducing legal barriers and strengthening international approaches to disability equality law. It addressed systemic gaps that prevent women and girls with disability from reporting sexual violence, and highlighted the urgent need for specialised legal supports.
Session 3: Disability-Led AI for Inclusion and Justice
PWDA’s Alexandra Bignell delivered a powerful intervention on how AI can – and must – serve neurodivergent people. Her message was clear: AI must be designed and led by the people it aims to support.
Watch intervention:
Speakers explored how AI can support, including the importance of AI in Higher education accessibility (Ebe Gannon, CYDA), Disaster and emergency management (led by Deaf experts), Inclusive learning for culturally Deaf children, and Assistive AI tech for wheelchair users and people with intellectual disability
The session reminded us: AI must be Accessible, Available and Affordable – but also developed through a disability justice lens, ensuring accuracy, equity and participatory leadership.
Session 4: Indigenous Disabled Leadership Front and Centre
Moderated by PWDA’s Tahlia-Rose Vanissum, this session gave space to Indigenous voices, truths, and wisdom. The discussion covered:
- The lack of culturally safe, decolonised services for Deaf First Nations people
- Disproportionate rates of sexual violence against Indigenous women with disability
- Stigma related to HIV/AIDS and episodic disability
- The continuing institutionalisation of Indigenous people with disability, especially in remote areas
Gi Young (CYDA) shared how colonisation has devalued community knowledge, where disability is often seen as strength rather than deficit. Sophie Cusworth (WWDA) also shared a powerful story on the need for culturally safe respite options.
The Takeaway: Inclusion is Not Optional
As Day 1 drew to a close, the message was loud and clear:
- The global retreat from Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is having real, devastating consequences.
- The CRPD is not a polite suggestion – it is a binding international obligation.
- Disabled people must be included – in leadership, in policy, in funding, and in every system that affects our lives.
We closed the evening by joining our Australian and New Zealand colleagues for an energising night of connection and celebration.
Follow Along
This is just the beginning. Stay tuned as PWDA continues to represent and advocate throughout COSP18.
Follow the journey: #CSFCRPD #COSP18
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