Megan Spindler-Smith’s Intervention from 9 June 2025 – Civil Society Round Table
10 June 2025
Good morning.
My name is Megan Spindler-Smith, and I am representing People with Disability Australia, Australia’s national peak body for cross disability and for LGBTQIA+ people with disability.
Anti-diversity rhetoric and austerity measures are frightening for many people with disability. However, women, non-binary and LGBTQIA+ people with disability face increasing risk, violence and stigmatization as these measures compound access exclusion for basic daily life, employment and supports.
More than ever, we need adequate funding, that acknowledges cost-of-living, for peer-led support to reduce harassment, violence and exclusion. Unfortunately, in many countries that very support is being dismantled or continuously underfunded.
Today I want to share three of our initiative that are successfully countering these challenges.
The first is our Advancing Women with Disability in Leadership project. This project, co-designed with women and gender-diverse people with disability, involves leading organisations to:
- Deliver disability-confident workforce training for employers.
- Pair senior mentors with women and non-binary professionals with disability to foster career progression; and
- Address barriers such as workplace ableism, pay inequity, and lack of representation in decision-making roles.
Neglecting diversity initiatives undermines economic outcomes. Organisations with gender-diverse leadership are 15% more likely to outperform peers financially, while culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) teams see a 35% performance boost. Conversely, homogeneous workplaces stifle innovation, reduce market share, and increase staff turnover. PWDA’s Advancing Women project directly addresses these gaps, with pilot programs demonstrating 42% higher profitability in organisations adopting mentorship and inclusive hiring practices.
Our second initiative has been focused on a National Blueprint for Economic Justice, which demands:
- Redesigning income support to reflect the real costs of disability.
- Targeted funding for LGBTQIA+-led disability services to counter systemic under-resourcing.
Our third initiative has been working to ensure the voices of marginalised people with disability are heard by Government. People with intersecting identities, such as First Nations, culturally diverse or those from regional communities experience even greater exclusion from policymaking spaces. PWDA’s intersectional advocacy prioritises these voices through community-led forums and partnerships with grassroots organisations.
We call on States Parties, intergovernmental organisations and civil society to work together to:
- Increase investment in peer-led services and LGBTQIA+ disability leadership programs.
- Embed intersectionality in fiscal policies to address compounded discrimination; and
- Amplify the expertise of multiply marginalised communities in UN processes.
In solidarity, we must work together to reject austerity and anti-diversity narratives that erase our humanity. This is why it must be, Nothing about us, without us ALL.
Thank you.
Follow the journey: #CSFCRPD #COSP18
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