Committee and Staff

Karin Swift (she/ her) has had an extensive career in the disability, advocacy and social policy space where she is committed to people with disability living valued lives in the community. Karin is a past President of Women With Disabilities Australia (WWDA) and has an extensive background in governance roles for other non-government organisations (NGOs). Karin has represented the Australian Government and WWDA at the Commission on the Status of Women 57 (CSW 57) held at the United Nations, New York, providing high level, strategic advice on women with disability and violence and presenting at various side events. Karin has also led training alongside the Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) and been a keynote speaker for WWDA in Indonesia and South Korea on gender and disability and the elimination of violence.

Karin has previously worked at Queenslanders with Disability Network (QDN) in various roles and provided strategic high-level advice and analysis on many contemporary disability issues and other social policies including: human rights, gender issues, the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), the Disability Royal Commission, housing, transport, welfare reform and employment.

Karin currently works as an independent consultant providing strategic high level advice, policy analysis and giving presentations to a diverse range of audiences on a range of key disability social policy issues.

Jodie is a trained scientist, communications professional, and experienced board director committed to advocating for the rights of women, girls, and gender-diverse people with disabilities. Living with a chronic condition and neurodiversity, she draws on her personal experiences of overcoming socioeconomic disadvantage, surviving a tumultuous childhood, and navigating systemic barriers to bring invaluable insights.

Jodie’s professional background spans communications, policy development, research, and governance in not-for-profit, corporate, and intergovernmental sectors. As Communications Manager at Science & Technology Australia and Treasurer of the Australian Science Communicators, she has championed accessible communication and led impactful strategies to inspire change. With strong governance expertise in fiduciary responsibility, strategic planning, and risk management, Jodie is dedicated to fostering inclusive decision-making. She is passionate about advancing human rights and creating equitable opportunities for women and girls with disabilities.

Kat (they/them/theirs) has been a local queer advocate and community builder in the ACT for the last eight years. They are currently the CEO of Women With Disabilities ACT – a systemic advocacy and peer support organisation for women, girls and non-binary identified people with disabilities. Kat was recently awarded 2021 Young Canberra Citizen of the Year and one of Out for Australia’s 30 Under 30 for 2021.

Their activism and community building work spans many different intersections. Since the age of 17, they have advocated for the rights of people of colour, queer youth, trans and non-binary people and people with disabilities. They’ve held positions of leadership in both local and national organisations including the ANU Students’ Association and led the Australian Queer Students’ Network as the National Co-Convenor. Kat was a Council member on the ACT LGBTIQ+ Ministerial Advisory Council and advised on issues affecting queer youth from 2015-2018.

Kat is also a political performance artist and through their arts persona they recently finished work on Australia’s very first all trans and gender diverse original musical titled Lost in Transit with a cast of six local trans and gender diverse artists.

Maria Scharnke is a proudly Disabled young person and a lifelong self-advocate. Maria is a vehement and persistent voice for disability rights and disability justice as a writer, public speaker, and youth leader, both independently and through her roles in many Disabled People’s Organisations. She presented evidence at the Disability Royal Commission, in October 2020, as a Disabled high school student.

Maria is working towards the full and practised realisation of disability rights worldwide. She has an interest in the interrelation between perceptions of disability and the concept of monstrosity. Maria dislikes bioethics, but studies them anyway.

Maria is Culturally and Linguistically Diverse.

Nadia Brady (they/them) is an autistic and disabled person who is passionate about an intersectional approach to the rights of women, girls and people of marginalised gender. They work and live on the land of the Giabal, Jarowair and Western Wakka Wakka people in regional Queensland. Nadia works as a peer leader in disability inclusive disaster risk reduction, supporting people with disabilities and their communities to make sure nobody gets left behind in a disaster. In their local community, Nadia is leader of a disability peer support group through Queenslanders With Disability Network. They are a politics nerd because they think everyone’s voice should count. Nadia enjoys spending time with their fiancée, family and friends. They live with a dog named Bagel who loves playing fetch and doesn’t like when Nadia spends too much time on zoom. 

Dr Samantha Neylon has worked across the private, not for profit, charitable and public sectors supporting older Australians and those living with disability.  Sam has skills and experience in developing and growing services, change management, governance, strategy, risk, finance and leadership along with a passion to ensure clients, families and teams are supported to enable individuals to live the lives they choose their way.  Her person-centred approach celebrates each person uniquely and is underpinned by a drive to contribute to a society which promotes inclusivity and eliminates disadvantage.  Sam’s values and lived experience of disability fuel her desire to empower others and make a difference one step and one day at a time.

Tess is a passionate advocate for disability rights and healthcare innovation. Over the past decade, she has focused on advancing mental health services, suicide prevention, and inclusive healthcare. Her work includes co-designing transformative mental health units and services in Victoria.
As a consumer researcher, Tess amplifies lived experiences to drive systemic improvements and policy changes. Her collaboration on the Neve website for WWDA demonstrates her commitment to empowering women with disabilities and advancing WWDA’s mission.

With a background in social science and expertise in consumer engagement, Tess excels in peer counseling, strategic planning, and community development. She has served on advisory committees, reflecting her belief in diverse perspectives to create meaningful change.

Sophie (she/her) is a lawyer and policy professional who is passionate about gender equality, human rights and intersectionality. Sophie’s work in policy is informed by her experience as a Workplace Relations, Safeguarding and Discrimination lawyer, her passion for research and advocacy, and her lived experience of disability. She is also a public speaker and facilitator, with experience delivering workshops on neurodiversity, disability inclusion, consent and sexual harm, and gender equality.

Sophie has a Bachelor of Arts with a major in Gender Studies from the University of Melbourne, and a post-graduate Law degree from Monash University. Sophie lives on Wurundjeri land in Melbourne.

Diana Piantedosi (she/they) is a passionate advocate and researcher dedicated to advancing disability and gender equity. Currently a Sociology PhD candidate at La Trobe University, Diana also holds research positions at the University of Melbourne and Deakin University. Their work is informed by academic expertise, practical and lived experience, with a focus on the intersections of gender, sexuality, and disability.

Most recently, Diana served as the Director of Policy, Advocacy, and Community Engagement at Women with Disabilities Victoria (WDV). Prior to this, they built a 15-year career in banking and commercial finance, specialising in risk and compliance. In 2022, Diana transitioned into full-time social research and policy, contributing to projects such as developing technology to support people with chronic illnesses and assisting peer researchers with intellectual disability to create guidelines to foster positive identities for LGBTQ people with intellectual disabilities.

Diana is an active member of several Victorian Government Advisory Councils and volunteers with MS Plus, facilitating support groups for queer and gender-diverse people living with Multiple Sclerosis.

Clare Gibellini (she/her) is woman with multiple disabilities, including Autism, who works as a passionate advocate for the inclusion of people with a disability in all areas of the community. She is the Co-Chair of the Oversight Council for the Australian Federal Government’s first National Autism Strategy, and a member of the National Disability Insurance Agency Independent Advisory Council’s Equity and Inclusion Reference Group. She is also the Deputy Chair for the WA Ministerial Advisory Council on Disability.

Clare currently works as Policy Officer for Women With Disabilities Australia, and is a Lived Experience Co-Researcher with the University of Sydney, specialising in Disability Inclusive Disaster Risk Reduction. She is also an emergency services volunteer with the Department of Fire and Emergency Services (WA) and spends time working with various communities to build community preparedness.

She serves on multiple boards and steering committees focussed on improving outcomes for people with disability, and is a passionate human rights campaigner both in Australia and internationally. She was a delegate to the United Nations in 2022, 2023 and 2024 as part of the Australian delegation to the Conference of State Parties.

Claire Bertholli (she/her), currently lives on the lands of the Awabakal people in Newcastle. She is a youth worker and disability advocate. She uses her education and practice in sociology and anthropology, in tandem with her lived experience of being a wheelchair user with a physical disability, to influence social and community change. She has involved herself in many advocacy projects in various disability, intersectional feminist and youth centric NGO’s across Australia and internationally.

In her spare time she enjoys getting her wheels dirty on outdoor walks or in her beach wheelchair, enjoying food with friends and family, sharing pop culture recommendations with anyone who will pay attention and being in the thick of it at live music events.

Claire is extremely excited to start her journey as youth development officer, as she has been passionately engaged in many ways with WWDA initiatives since 2020/21 and knows what power and resilience can come from providing young people with platforms and opportunities to share valuable parts of themselves.

Sarah Smallman (she/her) is an advocate for social justice, an intersectional feminist, and a strong supporter of inclusive standards and policies. Her passion lies in addressing gender-based violence and working towards creating a society where all individuals can live free from harm and discrimination. Sarah holds a Bachelor of Applied Social Studies and is currently studying to become a registered psychologist.

As an intersectional feminist, Sarah believes in the importance of recognising and addressing the multiple and intersecting forms of oppression that individuals may face based on their gender, race, class, sexuality, disability, and other social identities. She strives to foster an inclusive and equitable environment that uplifts marginalised voices and promotes intersectional understanding.

One of Sarah’s core focuses is advocating for comprehensive resources, standards, and policies that support gender equality and empowerment. She believes that robust standards and policies are essential for challenging existing power structures, dismantling systemic inequalities, and promoting the rights and well-being of all individuals, regardless of their gender or background. By actively participating in discussions and engaging with various stakeholders, Sarah aims to contribute to the development and implementation of effective resources and strategies that address gender-based discrimination and violence.

Sarah’s specific interest in gender violence stems from a deep commitment to ending all forms of violence and abuse perpetrated against individuals based on their gender. She is dedicated to raising awareness about gender violence, supporting survivors, and challenging the social norms and attitudes that perpetuate such violence. By engaging in research, education, and advocacy, Sarah aims to foster a society that not only responds effectively to gender violence but also prevents it from occurring in the first place.

Through her work Sarah hopes to contribute to the ongoing efforts towards a more equitable and just world where gender equality is realised, intersectional voices are amplified, and all individuals can thrive without fear of violence or discrimination.

Jacinta (she/her) lives on the lands of the Muwinina people of Nipaluna Country/ Hobart and is a mother of two. She completed a Bachelor of Business (Marketing and Management) at the University of Tasmania (UTAS) and has since developed her skills in digital marketing, graphic design, media, and accessible design. She is passionate about inclusive language and creating simple content.

She loves spending time at the beach, especially with her daughters, seeing her family and friends and doing small projects around her home.

Growing up on Yuin Country in Nowra NSW, Sarah (she/they) is committed to supporting marginalised communities, accessible resources and intersectional voices in advocacy.

Sarah has worked in media and advocacy since 2021, taking on her first roles while studying a Bachelor of Politics, Philosophy and Economics at the University of Wollongong. In June 2024, she completed a Master of Strategic Communications Management at Monash University. She has engaged in several advocacy roles, particularly for the rights of survivors and disadvantaged communities. This work includes participating in the government roundtable on New South Wales drink spiking legislative reform and leading the campaign’s design and online content for the Safer Spaces Summer campaign with She’s A Crowd and Uber Australia, which won a Merit award for Campaign of the Year at the 2024 TechDiversity Awards.

Sarah also founded and runs advocacy media organisation Social Prally, a free resource that provides accessible information on media literacy and advocacy engagement. She prioritises digital accessibility and disability justice, advocating for inclusive design, political and social agency, and equitable outcomes for all.

Sarah has a range of interests, including pop culture and music, Ancient Greek history and mythology, and storytelling through game and art media.