The 16th Annual National Disability Summit is a must-attend event for disability service providers, community care organizations, and industry leaders looking to navigate the latest developments in disability care and support.
This year’s program will feature in-depth discussions on the NDIS, funding models, workforce challenges, service innovation, and policy changes, with practical insights to help providers improve service delivery and outcomes for people with disability.
Who Attends?
Join a dynamic audience of NDIS service providers, senior executives, community care organizations, local and federal government representatives, independent carers, aged care providers, and technology leaders to explore strategies that enhance independence, inclusion, and participation for people with disability.
Stay informed, connect with peers, and be part of the conversation shaping the future of disability services.
What you can expect from the 2025 agenda:
- How can providers and participants effectively navigate the latest NDIS changes?
- How can providers prepare for compulsory registration?
- Understanding the new NDIS Act: What are the key changes and timelines?
- Navigating the new short notice cancellation requirements: What do providers need to know?
- How can Support Coordination be leveraged in employment services?
- Effective time management for Support Coordinators and Recovery Coaches: What strategies work?
- How can organisations grow and support their lived experience workforce?
- What are the most successful strategies for employing people with disability?
- Beyond SIL: What innovative housing models are improving lives?
- How can disability services better support mental health needs?
- Assistive Technology: How to choose, fund, and implement effectively?
- What does successful Person-Centered Active Support look like in practice?
- Empowering Self-Advocacy: What tools and techniques really work?
- How can we improve healthcare experiences for people with disability?
- Overcoming challenges in rural and remote service delivery
- Cultural Competence in Disability Support: From Theory to Practice
- Ensuring Financial Sustainability for Disability Service Providers
- How can we smooth the transition from education to employment for people with disability?
- Aging with Disability: What support strategies are most effective?
- What practical support makes the biggest difference for families and carers?
- Enhancing Digital Safety and Literacy for People with Disability
- Emergency Preparedness: How can we ensure the safety of people with disability?
Sponsors
Gold Sponsor
Silver Sponsor
Silver Sponsor
Session Spotlight Sponsor
Supporting Sponsor
Supporting Sponsor
Coffee Cart Sponsor
Exhibitors
Sponsorship & Exhibition Opportunities
Don’t miss this opportunity to get involved early in next year’s National Disability Summit!
There are many opportunities for networking including social events such as networking drinks, lunch and refreshments breaks making this not just a conference… but an all-encompassing industry experience.
Sponsorship or exhibiting will allow your organisation to:
- Build relationships with potential & existing clients
- Network with the industry
- Generate leads from a targeted audience
- Demonstrate your product/service in person
- Build brand awareness
To see what we have available please contact;
Lily Doherty
Sponsorship Manager
P: 02 9080 4340
E: [email protected]
2025 KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
Senator the Hon Jenny McAllister
Minister, National Disability Insurance Scheme
Ali France MP
Federal Member for Dickson, Australian Labor Party
Emma Vulin MP
State Member for Pakenham, Parliament of Victoria
Dr Jill Gallagher AO
CEO, VACCHO
Emma Bennison
Principal, Emma Bennison and Associates
2025 Speakers
Shannon Miller
Disability and Family Violence Practice Leader, Centre Against Violence
Debbie Phillips
Senior Sergeant, Disability & Elder Abuse Coordinator, Domestic, Family Violence and Vulnerable Persons Unit, QLD Police
Jeswynn Yogaratnam
Commissioner, NT Anti-Discrimination Commission, Principal Community Visitor, Community Visitor Program
Amelia Evans
CEO, Queensland Airports
Bridie McKim
Consultant, Get Skilled Access
Trent Belling
Co-Founder and Director,
Alicia’s House
Cat Lancaster
Executive Director, Innovation and Practice Excellence, Life Without Barriers
Perrin Abbas
Project Lead – Disability Inclusion, Multicultural Communities Council of SA
Angela Mucic
Chief Allied Health Officer, NeuroRehab Allied Health Network
Mary-Jane Stolp
CEO, The Bridge Incorporated
Catherine Walsh
Chief of People Officer, Qantas
Maddison Gray
Communications & Media Specialist, WCMICS (c/o Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre), Lived Experience Disability Advocate
Claire McCullagh
Principal, Nous Group
Geoff Sjollema
Principal, Nous Group
Di Geddes
Registered Nurse, Director, Exceptional Care for You
Sharon Xabregas
Managing Director, Sign Hear
Ben Fioramonte
General Manager, Children Families and Disability Supports, SSI
Nicole Doherty
Managing Director,
Empowered Liveability
Jo-Anne Hewitt
CEO,
Achieve Australia
Alecia Rathbone
Chief Executive,
Housing Hub
Benjamin Keast
CEO,
ARC Disability Services
Jethro Hepton
Board Chairperson,
Advocacy WA
Stu Schonell
CEO,
Advocacy WA
Emma Gierschick OAM
Claire Faulkner
Senior Solicitor, NDIS Appeals Team Leader, Legal Aid WA
Maree Jenner
Schools Facilitator,
Social Futures
Prue McCarthy
Schools Facilitator,
Social Futures
Peta Fensham-Cobb
General Manager,
Multicap
Cherise Smith
Coordinator, Women’s Individual Needs Clinic. Registered Nurse/Midwife., The Royal Women’s Melbourne
Danielle Corden
General Counsel, The Royal Women’s Melbourne
Sue Ford
Assistant Director/Social Policy, Strategy & Resilience Policy Branch, Policy & Governance Group, National Emergency Management Agency
Nicole Smith
Head of Disability Support, SSI
Robyne Burridge OAM
Josie Fakira
General Manager of Organisational Development (and D&I lead), Coles Group
Joanna Stewart
Capacity Development Lead, Housing Hub
Elizabeth O’Shannessy
Disability Access and Inclusion Lead, Allied Health Executive, Alfred Health
Pauline Luchetta
Founder & CEO,
Custodia Plan Management
Matt De Gruchy
Blindness and disAbility Advocate,
Matt Degruchy Vision (MDV)
Professor Charmine Härtel
Director, Opportunity Tech Lab, Impact Labs, Monash Business School
Jess Lane
CEO,
Life Choice WBB
Gill Callister
Chief Executive Officer,
Mind Australia
Joel Braden
General Manager,
Crescent Healthcare
Nicole Preston
Occupational Therapist,
Cohealth
Agenda
08:00
Registration & Morning Coffee
08:45
The Morning Bulletin: Opening Remarks from the Chair
Benjamin Keast, CEO, ARC Disability Services
08:50
OPENING ADDRESS | Redefining Inclusive Leadership and the Impact on Quality Service Provision
Emma Bennison, Principal, Emma Bennison and Associates
09:20
KEYNOTE ADDRESS |
Senator the Hon Jenny McAllister, Minister, National Disability Insurance Scheme
09:50
KEYNOTE |
Ali France MP, Federal Member for Dickson, Australian Labor Party
10:20
PANEL | The Housing Reality Check: Moving Beyond the Current Conversation
- Hidden homelessness, cost of living, and accessible housing
- Innovative housing models: SIL, SDA and beyond
- What can we do as service providers to tackle challenges?
- Technology-enabled independent living
- Practical solutions, key takeaways and the future of home and living
Nicole Doherty, Managing Director, Empowered Liveability
Trent Belling, Co-Founder and Director, Alicia’s House
Cat Lancaster, Executive Director, Innovation and Practice Excellence, Life Without Barriers
Jo-Anne Hewitt, CEO, Achieve Australia
Alecia Rathbone, Chief Executive, Housing Hub
Moderated by Pauline Luchetta, Founder & CEO, Custodia Plan Management
11:00
Networking Break & Morning Tea
11:30
PARTNER KEYNOTE | From Provider-led to Participant-driven: Addressing Imbalances in SDA & Shared Support Settings
This session will explore the structural & cultural imbalances that limit participant choice & control in Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) & shared support settings. Drawing on real-world examples, we’ll unpack what it takes to shift towards participant-driven service models, from building a culture of open feedback to supporting problem-solving as issues arise. Attendees will leave with practical tools, insights & examples that demonstrate how improving fairness & communication benefits everyone involved, including providers.
Joanna Stewart, Capacity Development Lead, Housing Hub
11:55
PANEL | Beyond Placement: Supporting Employers to Increase Retention
- Workplace accommodations, supports and tools that work
- Sustainable employment: reviewing practices and policies
- Success stories: from job seeker to valued employee
- Navigating personal relationships and day to day conversations
- Supporting employers to overcome micro biases, retention, whole workplace experience
Perrin Abbas, Project Lead – Disability Inclusion, Multicultural Communities Council of SA
Maddison Gray, Communications & Media Specialist, WCMICS (c/o Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre), Lived Experience Disability Advocate
Josie Fakira, General Manager of Organisational Development (and D&I lead), Coles Group
Matt De Gruchy, Blindness and disAbility Advocate, Matt Degruchy Vision (MDV)
Moderated by Benjamin Keast, CEO, ARC Disability Services
12:40
SESSION SPOTLIGHT | Inclusive Policy Reform: Embracing Multicultural Perspectives in Shaping the NDIS
How can you create systemic change and economic opportunities for people with disability in workplaces? This session will explore the Pathways to Possibilities programme, exploring the tools, solutions, and support to employers. As well as our national Community of Practice which influences policy and reshapes mainstream employment for people with disability across Australia.
Ben Fioramonte, General Manager, Children Families and Disability Supports, SSI
Nicole Smith, Head of Disability Support, SSI
13:00
Networking Lunch
14:00
SESSION SPOTLIGHT | Advancing Pressure Care with Next Generation Support Surfaces
Joel Braden, General Manager, Crescent Healthcare
14:20
KEYNOTE ADDRESS | Providing Person-Centered Care
Gill Callister, Chief Executive Officer, Mind Australia
14:50
PANEL | Let’s Shift the Culture: Changing the Outlook of Our Workforce
- The importance of a lived experience workforce
- Developing your workforce pipeline
- Working hand-in-hand with the aged care workforce: July 1st and beyond
- Workforce planning and the future of the workforce: technology and AI
Angela Mucic, Chief Allied Health Officer, NeuroRehab Allied Health Network
Sharon Xabregas, Managing Director, Sign Hear
Mary-Jane Stolp, CEO, The Bridge Incorporated
Di Geddes, Registered Nurse, Director, Exceptional Care for You
Moderated by Benjamin Keast, CEO, ARC Disability Services
15:30
SESSION SPOTLIGHT | Leveraging Virtual Reality to Bridge the Gap to Open Employment for Neurodivergent and Cognitively Impaired Individuals
This session explores a co-designed Virtual Reality (VR) tool that helps neurodivergent and cognitively impaired individuals transition from Australian Disability Enterprises (ADEs) to open employment. By allowing Supported Employees to safely explore job roles in immersive environments tailored to their needs, the tool reduces stress, builds confidence, and enhances career readiness. Learn how this pilot program aims to place 20 individuals into sustainable employment and create a scalable model for inclusive workforce development.
Professor Charmine Härtel, Director, Opportunity Tech Lab, Impact Labs, Monash Business School
15:50
Networking Break & Afternoon Tea
16:20
Partnering for Change: The Positive Impact of Community Health
People with disability in rural, regional and remote areas face growing gaps in community health. In this session, Stu and Jethro share their lived experience and offer practical ideas for rebuilding local supports through community partnerships, smarter funding, government policy, and better connections between services. A positive, solutions-focused look at how disability service providers can drive change where it’s needed most. We could call this Foundational Supports!
Jethro Hepton, Board Chairperson, Advocacy WA
Stu Schonell, CEO, Advocacy WA
16:50
This Is Not Taboo: Reproductive and Birthing Rights for People with Disability
Cherise Smith, Women with Individual Needs Clinic, The Royal Women’s Melbourne
Danielle Corden, General Counsel, The Royal Women’s Melbourne
17:20
The Afternoon Bulletin: Closing Remarks & Key Takeaways from the Chair
17:25
Networking Drinks Reception
18:25
END OF DAY 1
08:00
Registration & Morning Coffee
08:45
The Morning Bulletin: Opening Remarks from the Chair
Emma Gierschick OAM
09:00
KEYNOTE PANEL | Justice, Safety and Rights: Responding to Violence and Criminalisation in the Disability Sector
People with disability are at significantly higher risk of abuse, exploitation, and involvement in the criminal justice system—often without adequate support or protection. This panel brings together experts from policing, family violence services, and forensic disability advocacy to explore practical ways service providers can better recognise risk, respond to disclosures, support clients navigating police or legal systems, and uphold the rights of those in secure settings. Learn how to identify gaps in safety planning, improve engagement, and build stronger partnerships across sectors.
Shannon Miller, Disability and Family Violence Practice Leader, Centre Against Violence
Debbie Phillips, Senior Sergeant, Disability & Elder Abuse Coordinator, Domestic, Family Violence and Vulnerable Persons Unit, QLD Police
Jeswynn Yogaratnam, Commissioner, NT Anti-Discrimination Commission, Principal Community Visitor, Community Visitor Program
Moderated by Emma Gierschick OAM
09:45
KEYNOTE ADDRESS | Culturally Appropriate Care for First Nations People with Disability
- Practical strategies, pilots, programs and projects
- Building capacity within the community
- Building a disability workforce: mob supporting mob
Dr Jill Gallagher AO, CEO, VACCHO
10:15
SESSION SPOTLIGHT | Adapting for Sustainability in Disability Services
Cost pressures, shifting demand, and the ongoing uncertainty of sector reform are placing increasing pressure on the financial sustainability of disability service providers. Many are anticipating deteriorating financial performance in the near term, prompting difficult but necessary decisions about how to remain viable without compromising quality. This session explores how providers are navigating these pressures by reshaping their business models: strengthening core services, improving efficiency, divesting unsustainable offerings, and collaborating to share costs.
Claire McCullagh, Principal, Nous Group
Geoff Sjollema, Principal, Nous Group
10:35
PRE-RECORDED KEYNOTE ADDRESS | The Importance of Community Inclusion: Changing Places Facility
Emma Vulin MP, State Member for Pakenham, Parliament of Victoria
10:45
Networking Break & Morning Tea
11:15
Reasonable and Necessary: Understanding the Legal Changes to the NDIS 2.0
- Disability Roadmap for Providers and Participants
- Unpicking the NDIS reforms in 2025
- What is applicable on new plans?
- The interface of Support Coordinators + Local Area Coordination + Foundational Supports
Claire Faulkner, Senior Solicitor, NDIS Appeals Team Leader, Legal Aid WA
11:45
From Lived Experience to Lasting Impact: Revolutionising Disability Inclusion in Education
The Inclusion in Schools Project is a suite of six disability awareness and inclusion programs that are delivered to 9000+ students each year across NSW primary and high schools. Designed and delivered by facilitators with lived experience of disability, these interactive programs encourage students to become the next generation of change makers by exploring difference, accessibility, the social model of disability, and how true inclusion benefits everyone. This session will examine key successes, lessons learned, and the power of lived experience to help children and young people with disability feel connected and valued in their communities.
Maree Jenner, Schools Facilitator, Social Futures
Prue McCarthy, Schools Facilitator, Social Futures
12:15
PANEL | Health Outcomes through Collaboration and Co-Design
- The interface between the hospital, allied health, service provision and the community
- Projects, programs and pilots. What’s worked? How did it work?
- Scalability and sustainability
- Enhanced patient outcomes
Peta Fensham-Cobb, General Manager, Multicap
Nicole Preston, Occupational Therapist, Cohealth
Robyne Burridge OAM
Angela Mucic, Chief Allied Health Officer, NeuroRehab Allied Health Network
Elizabeth O’Shannessy, Disability Access and Inclusion Lead, Allied Health Executive, Alfred Health
Moderated by Jess Lane, CEO, Life Choice WBB
13:00
Networking Lunch
14:00
Aging with Disability: Getting it Right
- The interface between aging and disability
- Coordinating NDIS, aged care services or DSP
- Supporting decision-making and future planning
Robyne Burridge OAM
14:30
Using the Disability Inclusive Emergency Management Toolkit in emergency preparedness planning
- How and why the Toolkit was developed
- Overview of the different elements of the Toolkit
- How the Disability Inclusive Emergency Planning Forums are being used to uplift national maturity
Sue Ford, Assistant Director/Social Policy, Strategy & Resilience Policy Branch, Policy & Governance Group, National Emergency Management Agency
15:00
CLOSING KEYNOTE PANEL | The Flight Plan: Accessible Air Travel Solutions
- Overcoming known industry challenges
- Innovative tools, strategies and programs
- Key takeaways and actionable tips for disability service providers
- Creating greater choice, accessibility and access for people with disability
Amelia Evans, CEO, Queensland Airports
Bridie McKim, Consultant, Get Skilled Access
Catherine Walsh, Chief of People Officer, Qantas
Emma Bennison, Principal, Emma Bennison and Associates
Moderated by Stu Schonell, CEO, Advocacy WA
15:45
The Afternoon Bulletin: Closing Remarks & Key Takeaways from the Chair
15:50
END OF SUMMIT
Insights
How this Senior Territorian is seeking justice for people with disability
At birth, the parents of disability advocate Dr Robyne Burridge OAM were told her diagnosis of cerebral palsy was so severe that she would struggle to hit milestones like sitting up, let alone walking and talking…
Nothing about us without us – are we there yet with disability rights?
“Nothing about us without us” – the idea that policy shouldn’t be designed without first consulting the people it targets – has become a prominent mantra in the disability rights space in recent years…
The right way to treat people with disabilities at school
When Matthew De Gruchy was diagnosed with Stargardt’s disease, a rare genetic eye condition, at the age of nine, he did not know that his difficulties with blindness would pale in comparison to the social challenges he later experienced…
Photos From 2024 Event
Testimonials
Elizabeth O’Shannessy, Alfred Health
“It was a wonderful event and I really enjoyed being part of it. It had some really important conversations with many participants around challenges accessing healthcare and it has me back to work feeling buoyed with enthusiasm to keep educating our staff. As a speaker I was kept to date and informed along the way. I was so impressed by how inclusive the event was.”
Anonymous
“It’s good to be involved in events with a strong focus on improving the quality of care and service to people we serve (in this case people living with disability).”
Anonymous
“The National Disability Summit was invaluable for connecting with many passionate leaders and speakers in the NDIS, disability and mental health space. I felt recharged from attending and motivated to keep improving the systems and services we provide to persons with a disability and most of all, ensuring that persons with a disability are at the core of everything we do. What a fantastic event!”
Anonymous
“A valuable opportunity to learn about challenges and discuss solutions for people with disability, and to connect with key individuals and organisations in the sector.”
Venue
Crown Melbourne
8 Whiteman Street
SOUTHBANK VIC 3006
SPECIAL ACCOMMODATION RATE
We have secured a special accommodation rate from $240* per room per night, room only, for conference attendees at the Crown Promenade for the nights of the 18-19 September 2025 inclusive.
To book this rate, click here.
* Room availability and rates are subject to availability and valid until 7 days prior to the event, unless sold out prior.
Book early to avoid disappointment.
Contact
Still have a question?
Irene Amo
Conference Producer
[email protected]
Lily Doherty
Sponsorship Manager
P: 02 9080 4340
E: [email protected]
Event Code Of Conduct
We want everyone who comes to our events to have a great experience. This code explains our expectations and rules, which includes general good practice behaviour, and how to report anything witnessed or experienced that goes against them. Read our Event Code of Conduct here.