Welcome to the October update on all things WWDA. This update is sent directly to our members as our part of our monthly newsletter – become a member or join our mailing list today.
Sophie Cusworth speaks at NDIS Joint Standing Committee
On Thursday 24 October, WWDA’s CEO Sophie Cusworth addressed the Joint Standing Committee on the NDIS to call for a co-designed Gender Strategy that reflects the lived experiences of our community, and centres us as whole people. She called for measurable actions across eligibility, access, planning, data transparency, and responses to violence and safety.
[Video description: Duration: 5 minutes. The video shows the CEO of Women With Disabilities Australia (WWDA) speaking at a public hearing of the Joint Standing Committee on the NDIS. She sits at a witness table with a microphone and a laptop. A name card identifies her. The setting is a formal hearing room. The camera remainson a medium shot of the CEO as she delivers her opening statement. No animations or rapid transitions are used. The video ends with the CEO finishing her remarks.]
Submission: Delivering quality care more efficiently
WWDA has made a submission to the Productivity Commission’s inquiry into ‘Delivering quality care more efficiently.’
Our submission highlights the urgent need for a gender-responsive and disability-specific approach to care reform. Changes to the care economy must centre lived experience, support the leadership of women and gender-diverse people with disability, and ensure no limitation of rights or protections for more efficiency.
Submission: Addressing multiple and intersectional forms of discrimination
WWDA and People with Disability Australia (PWDA) have release their joint submission to the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). It comes as a response to the Committee’s calls for input on draft guidelines that address multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination against women and girls with disabilities.
The submission identifies critical reforms needed in law, policy and practice, reaffirming trans-inclusive feminism as a fundamental part of disability justice.
Neve: Finalist at Australian Access Awards
We’re proud to announce that Neve is a finalist for ‘Not-for-Profit Community Website of the Year’ at the Australian Access Awards!
Our Easy Read-first website is the first of its kind in Australia, making it easier for people to access the support and information they need. Congratulations to all the finalists.
Update: WWDA Annual General Meeting
WWDA is pleased to announce that our Annual General Meeting (AGM) will be held on Tuesday 25 November 2025. This will include our Management Committee election and updates on WWDA’s strategic plan. More details will be shared soon.
Other News
16 Days of Activism
As our 16 Days of Activism campaign approaches, we would like to thank all those who expressed their interest in sharing their stories with us. We had an overwhelming response from our community, and we will do our best to get back to everyone who filled out an EOI. Due to the scale of the response, we won’t be able to feature everyone in this campaign, but we’ll be in touch with new opportunities when they become available. Follow us across social media and explore our website to learn more about the campaign from November 25th.
Evidence to Action – event recording available
Diana Piantedosi, our Senior Manager for Policy and Advocacy, was a featured speaker at the Evidence to Action event earlier this month.
New member opportunities
New survey and consultation opportunities are available to members and people with disability. They include NDIS reviews, and an extended submission period for the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) Review. Find out more on our Have Your Say page.
