Meet some of our IMPACT 2025 Conference speakers, Read member stories
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Dear Member,
Every day at Australian Disability Network, we witness the tremendous work our members, partners, and stakeholders are doing to achieve greater inclusion of people with disability in Australian workplaces.
We are fortunate to collaborate with passionate individuals who recognise the business advantages of inclusive workplaces.
We believe the commitment and achievements of these changemakers should be recognised, celebrated, and replicated.
In 2022, we launched the annual Disability Confidence Awards specifically to highlight the efforts of individuals and organisations removing barriers that exclude people with disability from the workforce.
I invite you to enter the Disability Confidence Awards and join us at our gala dinner, which will bring our industry together to share ideas, recognise innovation, and learn from our award-winning pioneers and disability champions.
The awards cover seven categories, and we've extended our closing date to Friday, 21 March, 2025.
The nominees and winners will be announced at our 25th Anniversary Gala Dinner on Monday, 12 May, 2025.
- Disability Confidence Awards nominations close Friday, 21 March
- Meet some of our conference speakers
- Employing 100 finds jobs for 237 people with disability
- Member Making an Impact: Bunnings expands accessibility products
- Join our Members Roundtable on innovation and AI in recruitment
- Australian advertising sector commits to DEI
- Latest disability sector news
- Welcome to our newest members
Award nominations close Friday 21 March
There are only nine days left to nominate yourself, your colleagues, or your organisation in the prestigious Disability Confidence Awards!
The awards recognise organisations that have made systematic changes to their workplaces to become inclusive of employees and customers with disability, and individuals who promote disability inclusion.
Nominate for the following awards:
• Disability Inclusion Changemaker of the Year
• Inclusive Initiative of the Year
• Disability Employee Network of the Year
• Supervisor of the Year
• Intern of the Year
• Mentor of the Year
• Mentee of the Year
This year, we will celebrate our Disability Confident Awards Gala Dinner with a sit-down cabaret-style setting, offering more networking opportunities and a chance to share our collective achievements.
Don't miss out, secure your seats now
Meet the speakers taking the stage at IMPACT 2025
We’re delighted to announce some of our wonderful speakers at this year’s The IMPACT 2025: Activating Insights for Inclusion at the Sydney ICC on Tuesday 13 May, 2025.
- Suzanne Colbert, Founding CEO, Australian Disability Network
- Paul Nunnari, CEO, Inclusively Made
- Matt Formston, Head of Sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility, Optus
- Briar Harte, Inclusive Design Principal, NAB
- Jennifer Oliver, Chief Claims Officer, TAL
- Michael Fieldhouse, Social Impact Practice Leader, DXC Technology
We will share the final list of speakers shortly.
Our full-day conference will equip you with evidence-based approaches to drive real change in your organisation. Our delegates and speakers will explore.
- How Australia's top CEOs are embedding inclusion into their business strategy and culture
- Practical approaches to creating truly inclusive environments for neurodivergent employees
- Fresh perspectives on the future of workplace inclusion
- Strategies for building employee networks that drive organisational change
Read the full conference agenda
As we celebrate 25 years of transforming Australian workplaces, this milestone event brings together the country's most influential business leaders and inclusion experts.
Tickets are selling fast, so don’t miss out on the opportunity to attend the premier disability and inclusion event in Australia.
Bunnings supports customers and employees with disability
Bunnings is expanding its Assisted Living Range to include a comprehensive collection of products designed to support customers in creating safer, comfortable, and adaptable homes.
In a market that’s often fragmented, the expanded range aims to fill the gap by providing a one-stop shop for all assisted living needs. From home improvement products to daily living aids, the range offers practical solutions to improve everyday living, catering to customers with disabilities, carers, and anyone seeking more accessible home improvements.
The range expansion builds on other steps Bunnings has taken to make its stores more accessible and inclusive for all customers.
“We listened to feedback from our customers and are proud to be offering products and shopping experiences that help our customers live more independently while expressing their individuality and personal style,” said Bunnings Director of Merchandise, Cam Rist.
“We hope the expansion highlights how businesses can adapt to meet community needs and foster more inclusive environments while addressing gaps in the market.”
Read more about Bunnings' Assisted Living Range
Every month, we want to shine a spotlight on the incredible work that our member organisations are doing to making a difference in the lives of people with disability.
If you’re one of our members and you have a story to share about your organisations efforts to make the workplace more accessible and inclusive, please contact Clara Pirani at clara.pirani@ausdn.org.au.
Join our members-only roundtable on the role of innovation and AI in recruitment
Australian Disability Network invites you to attend our March Member Roundtable.
This national, Member-only Roundtable will take place virtually on: Wednesday 26 March 2025 at 1:00pm to 2:30pm (AEDT).
The roundtable will explore Innovation and Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Recruitment. AusDN relationship manager Ryllonna Luedey, Relationship Manager will host a fabulous panel, including: Dr Natalie Sheard PhD, Mia Baldock, Talent Acquisition Manager, Vicinity Centres, and Sarah Wojciechowski, Disability Confident Recruiter Program Lead, AusDN. The panel will discuss accessible and inclusive recruitment practices and navigating the line between innovation and potential discrimination through AI.
Employing 100 project supports companies to hire 237 people with disability
Australian Disability Network, in partnership with CSL Limited, Marriott International, McDonald’s Australia, and The Salvation Army, has successfully completed a two-year project designed to help employers in high-growth industries, such as the healthcare, social assistance, food, and accommodation sectors, fill vacant roles with suitably skilled jobseekers with disability.
Throughout the Employing 100 project, the four major employers - CSL Limited, Marriott International, McDonald’s Australia, and The Salvation Army - successfully integrated 237 skilled jobseekers with disability into their workforces.
This achievement significantly surpassed the initial goal of 100 placements, showcasing not only the commitment of these leading organisations, but also the strength of Australian Disability Network’s Employer Enablement Framework.
The two-year project was funded by an Australian Government, Department of Social Services grant.
Australian Disability Network Chief Executive Deborah Homewood said Employing 100 supported employers to fill roles with talented and qualified jobseekers with disability who previously did not have access to the recruitment process.
“Employing 100 helped employers tap the full talent pool of qualified candidates by removing recruitment barriers that prevented many jobseekers from previously applying for roles.
“Employing suitably skilled people with disability makes good business sense.”
Read more about the Employing 100 project
Advertising sector commits to DEI
As the United States government and some global brands scale back diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, Australian production and advertising leaders are doubling down on their commitment to diversity, arguing that inclusion isn’t just a moral imperative but a business necessity, according to a recent story in LLB online.
While there are concerns that the proposed changes in US policy could threaten local DEI efforts, industry advocate and founder of Inclusively Made, Henry Smith, told LLB, “When America shouts and screams, we don’t need to respond.”
“What Trump’s government has done, in our perspective, is a major overcorrection,” he said.
“The fallout from this is a lot of damage to people. But here in Australia, I’ve been delighted to see that a lot of corporates are actually doubling down on their DEI initiatives.”
Phoebe Sloane, founder of The Aunties and senior copywriter at Clemenger BBDO, considers the US DEI rollbacks a step backwards.
“If we aren’t actively trying to hire and retain diverse talent, where does this leave our output as a creative industry? The same people making the same kinds of work? It will inevitably lower our industry’s standards.”
Latest Disability Sector News
- ABC: Building code changes for better accessibility
- CEO Magazine: In 2025, CEOs face a turning point for disability inclusive leaders
- Company Director Magazine: AICD will continue to champion diversity on boards
- The Conversation: DEI programs help all employees
- Education Daily: Students with disability find it harder to succeed
Link Disability: AusDN's Employing 100 project smashes target as DEI ramps up
Valuable 500: The real cost of cutting back on disability inclusion
Welcome to our new members
We’re delighted to welcome the new members who recently joined our rapidly growing network.
Gold Members
- Australian Council for Educational Research
Silver members
- NCS Au
Bronze members
- State Revenue Office Victoria
