Welcome to the March 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.
WWDA welcomes new Management Committee members
Elected by our members at WWDA’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) last month, we are proud to welcome Dr Rachelle Bonner and Steph Travers to our Management Committee. Kristina Ward also joined – appointed directly by the Management Committee – in the role of Treasurer. These appointments mark an important moment for WWDA as we continue to strengthen our leadership, governance and advocacy at a time when the voices, expertise and lived experience of women and gender-diverse people with disabilities are needed more than ever.
We also congratulate Jodie Haigh on her appointment as Board President, alongside Dr Samantha Neylon as Secretary. We thank them for their commitment to WWDA’s strategic direction and ongoing advocacy.
A message of thanks to our outgoing President Karin Swift
We extend our sincere thanks to Karin Swift as she concludes her time as President of WWDA’s Committee of Management. Karin’s commitment, expertise and thoughtful leadership have been invaluable to WWDA’s advocacy, policy work and community projects.
Proposed NDIS planning changes
Many people in our community are feeling worried and uncertain about proposed changes to planning in the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). We hear those concerns clearly. We’ve created an online article to answer all your questions and to let you know what we know and what we’re still seeking answers on.
Statement: Status of Women Report Card 2026
Women With Disabilities Australia welcomes the release of the Status of Women Report Card 2026 and the attention it brings to the state of gender equality in Australia.
The report card points to important areas of progress. However, it is a reminder that progress is uneven, and that too many women are still being left behind.
Sophie Cusworth at Australian Progress
This month, WWDA CEO Sophie Cusworth spoke at Australian Progress on why Australia needs a Human Rights Act.
At WWDA, we have long argued that rights must mean more than principles on paper. A Human Rights Act would bring those rights into Australian law, strengthen accountability, and help shift the burden off individuals having to fight for justice after harm has already happened.
Joint Statement: DROs call for clear and complete consultation on NDIS planning reforms
The Department of Health, Disability and Ageing is currently consulting on the New Framework Planning Rules and asking the public to provide submissions on the reform architecture while specifics of critical components remain unavailable or lacking detail. This prevents Disability Representative Organisations (DROs) and the broader disability community from providing fully informed feedback and undermines the integrity of the consultation process.
International Women’s Day
On March 8th, WWDA celebrated and recognised International Women’s Day.
This year’s theme ‘Rights. Justice. Action – for ALL women and girls’, called for the dismantling of all barriers to equal justice – including discriminatory laws, weak legal protections and harmful systems that impact women’s rights.
WWDA joined the call, highlighting how Australia’s discrimination laws for people with disability often leave people behind, or make justice harder to achieve.
[Video description: Sophie Cusworth sitting in an office space. Captions in white text with purple backgrounds are shown throughout the video. Other text reads: “International Women’s Day. Rights. Justice. Action. For all women and girls.]
Community Updates and Opportunities
Find more opportunities and ways to get involved through our Have Your Say webpage.
- Expressions of Interest are now open to join the Optimal Care Pathway for People with Disability Working Group. It provides a framework to support consistent, safe and evidence based cancer care across the entire patient journey. Click here to find out more.
- People with Disability Australia (PWDA) is currently looking for new mentors and mentees for their Access to Enterprise program. Funded by the NSW Government, it aims to support women and feminine-identifying individuals with disability to access free education and mentoring to grow their business. Click here to find out more.
- Researchers at the University of New South Wales are conducting a project about the role that chronic pain plays in finding and keeping employment, and what supports or accommodations can help NDIS participants to find or keep paid work. Click here to find out more.
- The Department of Social Services has opened Expressions of Interest (EOI) for membership to the new Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence (DFSV) Advisory Council. Find out more about this opportunity here.
