Advocacy for Inclusion - Incorporating People With Disabilities ACT

08/10/2026

**Our October E-News is here!**

This month, we look at the changes affecting people with disability across Canberra, including the latest NDIS reforms, the rollout of Thriving Kids in the ACT, and progress on implementing the Disability Royal Commission's recommendations.

Advocacy for Inclusion acknowledges the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as traditional custodians of the lands where we live, learn and work.

25/09/2026

Call for pitches: Summer 2026 CDR. We’re seeking Australians with disability to share personal reflections and perspectives. Send a pitch of up to 50 words. Selected 800-word articles are paid $200. Deadline: 10 October. [email protected]

25/09/2026

Call for pitches: Summer 2026 Canberra Disability Review

Are you an Australian with disability with a story to share? We are looking for new voices and perspectives from people with lived experience of disability across Australia.

Send us a short pitch of up to 50 words outlining the article you would like to write. Successful pitches will be commissioned as 800-word articles, with payment of $200 on delivery of the completed article.

We welcome personal reflections and critical perspectives on culture, policy, community, systems, identity and more. You do not need to be an experienced writer.

Pitch deadline: 10 October 2026

Send pitches to: [email protected]

25/09/2026

Edition 19 of the Canberra Disability Review is out now.

The Spring 2026 edition brings together powerful personal stories, fresh thinking about systems drawn from First Nations’ wisdom, the ongoing work of building greater inclusion in emergency planning, and urgent scrutiny of disability policy and reform.

Inside this edition:

• life-celebrating cover art by Emma Kelly
• Rosie Putland’s reflections on travelling to New York for COSP19 at the United Nations
• Chrystale Langford’s exploration of relationships as essential infrastructure
• an interview with Professor Michelle Villeneuve on inclusion in emergency planning.

Read Edition 19: https://www.advocacyforinclusion.org/cdr/

Welcome to the Canberra Disability Review (CDR), a platform to highlight and give voice to what matters most to people with disability in the ACT.

24/09/2026

Who deserves to be recognised for championing inclusion in Canberra?

Nominations for the 2026 ACT Chief Minister’s Inclusion Awards close at 5:00 pm next Tuesday, 29 September.

You can nominate a person with disability who is a community leader, or an individual, team, local business or community organisation that goes above and beyond to support inclusion. Self-nominations are also welcome.

Nominate now: https://www.act.gov.au/community/honours-and-awards/act-chief-ministers-inclusion-awards

How to nominate for the annual ACT Chief Minister's Inclusion Awards and information about the 6 award categories.

17/09/2026

How should the $200 million Inclusive Communities Fund be designed?

Our joint submission recommends:

• making clear that the fund will not replace individual supports
• funding transport and peer support alongside organisational capacity-building
• waiting for evidence about the impact of participation-support cuts before locking in funding priorities
• being transparent about how funding will be allocated across Australia
• including independent evaluation from the beginning.

We have also proposed the ACT as a pilot site to test how community organisations, government and disability advocates can work together across transport, sport and the arts.

Read the submission:

Advocacy for Inclusion (AFI) and ACT Down Syndrome & Intellectual Disability (DSID) have made a joint submission to the Department of Health’s consultation on the Inclusive Communities Fund, endorsed by the Mental Health Community Coalition ACT.

15/09/2026

Our colleague Harry recently presented at the Australian Federation of Disability Organisations Member Forum.

The forum included an update and discussion on the “Securing the Future of the NDIS” reforms.

Thank you to AFDO for bringing member organisations together to share information and perspectives on changes affecting people with disability.

Watch the AFDO Member Forum recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VIXStyfkR0

AFDO Member ForumUpdate on the “ Securing the Future of the NDIS” ...

10/09/2026

Making an organisation more inclusive is only one part of the equation.

People with disability also need individual support, accessible transport, peer support and a skilled workforce to reach community activities and participate in them.

Without these supports, the gap will be felt hardest by people with psychosocial disability, intellectual disability, fluctuating or episodic conditions, and people without strong informal support networks.

Our joint submission recommends that the Inclusive Communities Fund clearly state that it is not a replacement for individual supports.

Read more: https://www.advocacyforinclusion.org/inclusive-communities-fund-consultation/

Advocacy for Inclusion (AFI) and ACT Down Syndrome & Intellectual Disability (DSID) have made a joint submission to the Department of Health’s consultation on the Inclusive Communities Fund, endorsed by the Mental Health Community Coalition ACT.

09/09/2026

External research opportunity: Listenability

Researchers at the Australian National University want to hear from young people with disability and young carers about what good listening means and whether they feel listened to by the organisations and services in their lives.

Young people can take part if they:

• are aged 15 to 29
• live in Australia
• have a disability or care for someone with disability.

A relaxed focus group will be held in central Canberra on Saturday 24 October 2026. One-on-one online interviews are also available for young people anywhere in Australia.

The researchers are also seeking policy and service professionals with at least two years of experience in disability, carer or youth policy or services.

This is an external research opportunity led by Dr Laura Davy at ANU.

Find out more and register your interest: https://listening-together.com/

07/09/2026

Applications for the 2026 Sue Salthouse Leadership Fund Scholarship Grant Round close this Wednesday.

People with disability in the ACT and nearby areas can apply for funding to support their leadership journey. A total of $15,000 will be shared among successful applicants.

Applications close at 11.59 pm on Wednesday 9 September 2026.

Learn more and apply:

The Sue Salthouse Leadership Fund (SSLF) was set up in 2021 to help people with disability to access opportunities that build skills and gain experience, enhancing the representation and leadership capacity of people with disability.