Last Week the WWDA LEAD Project Team hosted a hybrid (in-person and online) meeting & leadership event for the WWDA LEAD Project Steering Committee (PSC) and the WWDA LEAD Summit Codesign Committee. 

We are grateful to all the WWDA PSC & SCC members who travelled and called in on-line from all around Australia for the week-long event. During the week we explored what Leadership looks, sounds and feels like through the diverse lived experience and lens of women and non-binary people with disability. The week held some surprises, including a last-minute guest speaker, the Tasmanian Anti-Discrimination Commissioner- Sarah Bolt. 

We have received fantastic feedback from those who attended and and we feel honoured to have met, held space, and learnt with such a wonderful group of people in collaboration and meaningful co-design. Meeting people in person was an incredible experience for many of us, especially after surviving through the last couple of years with the pandemic. The feedback and discussions from those who attended will also inform and help create content for the Leadership Summit which will be held in 2023.

“We work and we rest. If there is one thing, I’ve taken away from WWDA LEAD, it’s that Women, Girls and Nonbinary people with Disabilities lead differently. We lead each other and are driven by an innate desire to uplift and help others”.  

– Rebecca Bennet.

“The WWDA Leadership Week was such a unique, insightful and empowering experience. After working with various staff and fellow WWDA members virtually for many years.. it was fabulous to be together in person, to collaborate and communicate! An event where disability access needs and capacity were constantly considered and checked in on. Glad I was able to connect, contribute and LEAD.”

– Akii Ngo (WWDA LEAD Project Steering Committee) 

“I was able to engage with a group of phenomenal women and nonbinary folk with disability who, frankly, made me realise why community is so important when considering disabled identity and culture. The intrinsic need to find a level of ‘sameness’ and shared experience in other human beings is something that I have been missing for quite a while, probably since the start of the pandemic and being surrounded by an open welcoming group of people prepared to share their stories and embrace mine was such a needed thing.”

– Cheryl Knight (WWDA LEAD Summit Codesign Committee). 

Make sure you are following us as we post more content from those who attended and open more opportunities and activities from the WWDA LEAD Project!