Victorian Disability Advisory Council

Chris (he/him) is proudly autistic. He is the Founding Director and Chief Enabling Officer of I CAN Network. I CAN® is Australia’s largest autistic-led organisation. I CAN mentors over 3,000 young people every year through the I CAN School® and I CAN Online programs. Since 2015, Chris has employed close to 200 autistic people to deliver mentoring programs at scale.

In 2017, Chris received the Supreme Court of Victoria’s Best Achievement in Human Rights Award. Chris is:

• national patron of the Australian Association for Special Education and
• a non-executive director of the Australian Autism Alliance.

He has been the Chairperson of the Victorian Disability Advisory Council since 2022.

Chris is passionate about disability job creation and employment. He lives with his young family in Greater Geelong.

Disability community: autistic

Location: regional

Focus areas: inclusive education, inclusive workforces and job creation.

Mija (she/her) is Deaf and uses Auslan as her first language. She resides on Wadi Wadi and Muthi Muthi lands. Mija is the Head of Youth Disability Advocacy Service (YDAS). She has led and coordinated community development, film festivals and arts projects in the United Kingdom and Australia.

Mija has sat on advisory committees in the health and disability sectors. Previously, she was the President for Deaf Victoria. She has a:

• Bachelor of Arts from University of Melbourne,
• Master of Communication from Griffith University, and a
• Master of Public Policy and Management from the University of Melbourne.

Mija has been the Deputy Chairperson of VDAC since her appointment in 2022.

Disability community: Deaf and hard of hearing community

Location: regional

Focus areas: Youth, intersectionality, NDIS, health, and regional and rural issues.

Husna (she/her) is an emerging social worker based on Wurundjeri Country. She has a strong commitment to inclusion, access and social justice. She volunteers with Democracy in Colour.

Husna is also a member of Polaron Language Services Multicultural Advisory Panel.

Husna has previously served on the board of Youth Affairs Council Victoria. Her work includes the areas of:

• youth
• disability and
• multiculturalism.

In these areas, she has:

• co-designed resources
• led consultations and
• supported campaigns with and for disabled young people and culturally and racially marginalised communities.

She has also written about her experiences of belonging and navigating her identities as a disabled woman of colour. She has done this through her work with Women with Disabilities Victoria.

Husna’s focus is on advancing:

• disability justice
• racial justice, and
• equity for people with marginalised, intersecting identities.

Focus and/or interest areas: Racial justice, disability justice, accessibility, multiculturalism, systemic change.

Stella (she/her) has a Bachelor of Arts (Sociology) from Swinburne University.

In 2024, Stella competed in the Paris Paralympics. She competed in Para Dressage and finished 7th from a field of 22 competitors.

Stella is dedicated to working to create equal opportunities for disabled people. She is an active participant on various advocacy committees. Stella is eager to leverage her skills and lived experience to:

• promote accessibility
• engender inclusivity
• raise public awareness to create meaningful change in the community.

Stella also understands the power of the arts and sport to develop community and communicate ideas. Stella enjoys painting and drawing as her forms of creative expression. Stella has been actively involved in campaigns for greater access to public transport, especially in her local community.

Focus and/or interest areas: create equal opportunities for disabled people, the power of the arts and sport to develop community and communicate ideas, greater access to public transport, especially in her local community.

Location: metropolitan.

Kelly Ann (she/her) is a proud Wadawurrung woman with Dja Dja Wurrung kinship connection. Her professional background includes roles as a:

• Biocultural Project Officer
• community leader
• Adjunct Research Fellow at La Trobe University.

Kelly Ann brings lived experience, Indigenous / First Nations perspectives and strong advocacy to her work. This includes:

• work across government
• conservation
• research
• education.

Kelly Ann is the founder of Kaal Kaal Murrup – Dingo Spirit Cultural Consultancy. She believes in healing Country and Country healing people. Her leadership weaves Indigenous and Western knowledge systems.

Kelly Ann is passionate about disability advocacy and awareness, particularly for Indigenous / First Nations peoples and women. She is committed to ensuring policy and service design reflect diverse ways of knowing, doing, being, and caring. Kelly Ann is also committed to achieving this in accessible and culturally safe ways.

Kelly Ann has had a number of publications on Indigenous Archaeology and its use in healing the impacts of colonial settlement.

Focus and/or interest areas: Disability Access Plans in workplaces, supporting Country so Country can support people with all abilities

Disability community: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

Location: Living on Dja Dja Wurrung Country in rural Central Victoria

Amir (he/him) currently works as a Social Procurement Administrator with the Northwest Program Alliance / John Holland.

In his current role, Amir:

• supports inclusive employment practices
• contributes to progressing social procurement strategies that benefit people from all backgrounds (particularly those from culturally and linguistically diverse communities).

Amir brings a strong background in:

• social inclusion
• advocacy
• community engagement
• project facilitation.

Alongside this, Amir has lived experience of disability and a deep commitment to diversity.

Amir’s dedication to community service and inclusion has earned him high-level recognition. This includes:

• receiving the Victorian Award from Friends of Refugees in 2018.
  • The award recognised Amir’s outstanding contribution to the Australian community through All Abilities sport and community service.
  • The President of the Australian Human Rights Commission presented the award.
• being a former captain of the Australian Blind Soccer Team.
  • Amir has represented Australia internationally in several blind soccer and goalball tournaments.
  • His sporting achievements reflect his strong leadership. They also reflect his commitment to empowering people with disability through sport and advocacy.

Focus and/or interest areas:

• Social inclusion, advocacy and community engagement
• Inclusive employment
• Empowering people with disability through sport.

Location: metropolitan

Bianca (she/her) is the Principal Lawyer of Human Rights & Disability Law Partners. She is a human rights lawyer with over 10 years experience advocating for disadvantaged clients. Her previous work includes:

• investigating and conciliating disability discrimination cases at the Australian Human Rights Commission
• providing legal advice and representation in:
  • mental health law
  • guardianship
  • administration
  • National Disability Insurance Scheme appeals at Victoria Legal Aid.

Bianca has also volunteered as National Vice President for the United Nations Association of Australia’s Young Professionals Network.

Bianca is a member of the Law Institute of Victoria’s Disability Law Committee. She has published articles on legal options for parents experiencing disability discrimination in the Victorian child protection system.

Focus and/or interest areas: Mental health law, disability discrimination, National Disability Insurance Scheme

Location: metropolitan

Helen (she/her) is based in metropolitan Melbourne. She is a not-for-profit, community, and disability sector leader. Helen has more than 20 years’ experience in:

• capacity building
• service and training delivery
• program design and coordination.

Helen is strongly committed to:

• social justice
• equity
• belonging.

Helen has a particular interest in the intersection of disability, gender, ethnicity and indigenous status.

Helen holds qualifications in:

• social work
• family dispute resolution
• community sector management.

Her most recent role was as advocacy lead at Women with Disabilities Victoria.

Helen also serves on several bodies including:

• as a director of Blind Citizens Australia
• as an executive of the World Blind Union Asia Pacific region
• the Executive Committee of the Australian Disability and Development consortium.

Focus and/or interest areas: social justice, equity and belonging. Particular interest in the intersection of disability, gender, ethnicity and Indigenous status.

Location: metropolitan

Melissa (she/her) is the Manager of Disability Advocacy Resource Unit. The organisation resources and builds the capacity of the disability advocacy sector in Victoria. The Unit is part of the Victorian Council of Social Services (VCOSS).

In addition to this, Melissa’s achievements include:

• an alumni and valedictorian of the 2021 Williamson Leadership Program with Leadership Victoria
• a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors
• member of the Accessible Transport Advisory Committee with the Victorian Department of Transport and Planning Head of Deaf Women’s Cricket with Deaf Cricket Australia.

Melissa is a proud Deaf woman. She is married to James and together they have 4 young teenagers and an overgrown puppy, Jack. Sport is a huge part of Melissa’s world, with her whole family kicking goals in their own sports.

Melissa has a passion for creating opportunities for Deaf and hard of hearing people, and other people with disabilities. Melissa is also passionate about leading people in spaces where decisions are made that affect them. Melissa’s career purpose is to influence change in society to become more disability inclusive. Her aim is for people with disability to have more spaces and communities where they feel a sense of belonging.

Focus and/or interest areas:

• Leadership opportunities for people with disability
• Disability inclusion

Disability community: the Deaf and hard of hearing community

Location: metropolitan

Jen (she/her) has extensive experience promoting disability rights and women’s rights. Her previous roles include:

• working in university Disability Liaison Units
• volunteering on the Women’s Information and Referral Exchange help line
• doing systemic advocacy as senior policy officer at Women with Disabilities Victoria
• investigating women’s safety in disability services with the Victorian Government’s Ethel Temby scholarship
• researching recovery from violence with Sexual Assault Services Victoria.

In university research teams, Jen studies:

• violence prevalence, prevention, response, recovery
• fair access to services (including the NDIS, health, family violence and emergency responses).

Focus and/or interest areas: gender equality, family violence prevention and response, safeguarding, access to information, housing and transport.

Disability community: disability pride

Location: metropolitan

Katrina (she/her) is a proud Palawa woman who survived 20 years of family violence and abuse.

Katrina is driven by her daughters to make positive changes in her life and her community. She has been an advocate for strengthening family violence prevention and response efforts. In particular for Aboriginal women and people living with a disability.

Katrina is a former member of the Victim Survivors’ Advisory Council, and the Dhelk Dja forum.

Focus and/or interest areas: Katrina is a dedicated mother and grandmother. She is deeply committed to family and community. Katrina spends time nurturing her relationships with family and friends.

She is passionate about seeing policy and practice reform informed by people with lived experience.

Location: Katrina is a proud Palawa woman, living on Gunaikurnai land.

Tim (they/them) is an advocate for disability rights, and inclusive governance and development. Tim has worked in different roles, including as:

• an Independent Director of the Australian Federation of Disability Organisations
• Chair of the Surf Coast Shire Council’s All Abilities Advisory Committee. (Tim was the youngest Chair of a government access and inclusion advisory committee in Australia in this role).
• a former President of Physical Disability Australia
• a former Co-Chair of the Commonwealth Children and Youth Disability Network (CCYDN).

Tim is a PhD candidate at Deakin University and Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO). Tim has published research focusing on sustainable electrolytes. Tim has also authored global policy documents through CCYDN. They were recognised on the 2025 D-30 Global Disability Impact List.

Tim has spoken at the United Nations on advancing disability rights.

Focus and/or interest areas:

• Inclusive STEM and disability in science
• Rural and regional access and inclusion
• Intersectionality and disability justice
• Youth voice and leadership
• Inclusive emergency management and climate adaptation
• Disability governance, co-design, and systems reform

Disability community: Neurological, physical, sensory and cognitive impairments.

Location: regional

Nicole (she/her) is an Access Consultant with a passion for inclusive design across:

• architecture
• products
• the built environment
• public events.

Nicole has a background in media and arts project management. She works across sectors to improve accessibility through practical advice, creative engagement, and inclusive strategy.

Nicole’s work includes:

• providing accessibility advice for buildings and infrastructure
• working as an Inclusion Specialist for major cultural events
• writing about accessible experiences for Melbourne visitor guides
• managing media and communications for an access consulting firm
• serving as a Trustee of the Vali Myers Art Gallery Trust
• participating as a panellist on inclusive design forums
• publishing articles on co-design and inclusive practice.

Nicole has lived experience as a person with bilateral leg amputations due to an accident at 18 years of age. This experience drives Nicole’s advocacy for embedding accessibility from the outset of every design. This includes creating environments and experiences that are inclusive, functional and appealing.

Focus and/or interest areas: Universal design, co-design, and inclusive design that is functional, beautiful, and considered from the beginning.

Location: metropolitan

Laura (she/her) is a:

• disabled writer
• speaker
• accessible communications professional.

Laura has worked in local government and in various disability organisations. This includes most recently at:

• Youth Disability Advocacy Service (YDAS)
• CPActive / Cerebral Palsy Alliance.

Laura’s memoir and opinion pieces have appeared in places such as Griffith Review, ABC Lifestyle and The Age. Laura advocates for accessibility on many committees and groups. For instance, she is currently:

• on the Board of Disability Rights and Culture (DRC)
• co-editing an upcoming nonfiction anthology by multiply marginalised disabled writers.

Laura is the founder and leader of All for Access, a business specialising in plain language and Easy Read.

Focus and/or interest areas: Accessible communication, awareness of the ongoing pandemic, disability pride and disability justice, LGBTQIA+ rights.

Location: metropolitan