The Achieve Foundation

“We need to create an environment, community, and workplaces like the Paralympic experience for people with disability.”   Katie Kelly OAM PLY is a passionate disability inclusion advocate, a two-time Paralympian, and winner of Australia’s first gold medal in the para-triathlon at Rio. She established the Sport Access Foundation to help young Australians with disability access sport. She is also a valued board member at Achieve Australia. We interviewed Katie about her views on disability inclusion and she shared her experience at the Paris Paralympic Games and how this should be used as a model of inclusion. To watch more of the interview and find out more about how you can help make Australia a more inclusive place, visit: https://lnkd.in/gmq5E6bm #Disability #DisabilityInclusion

The NDIS is vitally important, but because it was not designed to do everything, we need to increase philanthropic support, and assist those who want to start their own businesses or enjoy easeful, diverse experiences. Our Executive Director, Kirsty Nowlan and Board member Lorna Hallahan joined Simon Darcy and Emma Dawson for an informative discussion on ABC Radio National. Hosted by Richard Aedy, the conversation explores the need for philanthropic giving to leverage Australia’s NDIS and improve the lives of all people with disability.   Listen to the conversation here: https://lnkd.in/gZYyk2GT #Disability #DisabilityInclusion #NDIS

Today is International Day of People with Disability which we mark by tuning in to the Disability Leadership Oration. For the second year, we are proud sponsors of this event which leads the discussion on disability leadership and plays a role in setting the national agenda. It is a thought-provoking talk that sparks conversation and puts disability leadership at the centre of conversation. The Oration broadcast is available through the ABC Listen app today https://lnkd.in/g7BwKniT This year's orator is Professor Dr Scott Avery, proud Deaf and Worimi man. He invited allies of people with disability to be the 'bright green lily pads' in the murky pond', to provide a safe place for people with disabilities to land. Our task is to grow wild and to recruit others because there remain too few who provide safe passage.    At The Achieve Foundation, we offer our sincere congratulations to Christina Ryan and the Disability Leadership Institute team for initiating and delivering on what has fast become a landmark event in the Australian disability calendar. As Dr Scott said, we cannot delegate our truth telling to others.    It is a privilege to have played our part in amplifying this vision and event. #IDPWD #Disability #Inclusion

The first Tackling Stigma Conference took place at UNSW last week. This was a fantastic interdisciplinary event that brought together health professionals, researchers, peer workers and people with lived expertise and experience to address stigma in health care. People with disability experience significantly poorer health outcomes compared to those without disability. The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) reported that in 2020-21, only 31% of adults with disability rated their health as excellent or very good, in contrast to 68% of adults without disability. The Disability Royal Commission's final report highlighted that the devaluing of lives and unconscious bias were endemic in the (health) system. Harmful attitudes and stigma in health care create significant barriers to healthcare access, quality care and require immediate action. Deep work is still required to address stigma in our systems and institutions. The conference was a rich coming together of people committed to this deep work, with many speaking to their efforts to implement structural and sustained change. Our Senior Program Officer, Belle Tukin, presented at the conference to speak to The Achieve Foundation’s efforts to build tools to shift harmful attitudes towards disability and create a more inclusive Australia. #Disability #DisabilityInclusion #Stigma #DisabilityRoyalCommission

There is an exciting opportunity to join our team! The Achieve Foundation seeks to transform outcomes for people with disability. We develop scalable models of inclusion and implement those in partnership with large organisations to achieve national reach. We bring people, tools and resources together to break down barriers to inclusion. We are seeking a Head of Development for The Achieve Foundation to drive the growth of our Major Gifts revenue stream by identifying, cultivating, and securing sustained contributions from high-net-worth individuals and philanthropic organisations. Your focus will be on creating meaningful donor relationships that enhance our mission of advancing social inclusion for people with disability in Australia We actively encourage people with disability to apply, as we believe that lived experience enriches our team and strengthens our mission. You will be part of a close-knit team working at pace to deliver on an ambitious agenda. Your enthusiasm and drive will be strongly supported within a flexible and accommodating environment. To learn more about the role and apply, visit: https://lnkd.in/dxzAJzPN Visit our website at https://lnkd.in/g6iX4ywf to learn more about us.  Applications close 5pm Saturday 30 November 2024. #Disability #DisabilityEmployment #Employment #Philanthropy

The Achieve Foundation was excited to be part of the Peers in Philanthropy event. Peter Winneke and Louise Walsh spoke powerfully about the need to grow the culture of giving in Australia and the joy that giving can bring. Our Executive Director Kirsty Nowlan and Board Director Caroline Stewart were present at the event. Our role was to put a spotlight on increasing the engagement of philanthropy in advancing disability inclusion. Our thanks to Lawrence Jackson for bringing a great group of people together to hear this conversation. Patricia O'Brien | Lorna Hallahan | Richard Dinham LFRAIA, FAICD | Caroline Stewart | Fiona Reynolds | Kirsty Nowlan | Deepak Dobhal | Deena Rosalky, PhD | Louise Pilkington | Belle Tukin | Alex Jones GAICD | Jade Strongman GAICD #philanthropy #DisabilityPhilanthropy #socialimpact #investing

Do you or someone you know have a disability and looking for an exciting opportunity to enhance skills and career prospects? As part of the Disability Employment Catalyst, MAX Solutions RTO 0667 is offering 25 funded places for students to participate in a Pilot Training Pathway to gain the CHC33021 Certificate III in Individualised Support Disability qualification.    The focus is on delivering a comprehensive support service for individuals with disabilities in their educational pursuits to successfully complete training and ultimately increase the number of people, employed in open employment. If you think this could benefit you or someone in your network, please Share! Let’s empower individuals to develop their skills and advance their career in the disability support sector.    To learn more about this opportunity and secure your place, visit the website today! https://lnkd.in/gvteqvBa   Skills First is a Victorian Government program that provides access to government-subsidised training for courses in growth industries. #Disability #DisabilityInclusion #Inclusion #Education Life Without Barriers | Achieve Australia | Yooralla |  Youth Disability Advocacy Service | Children and Young People with Disability Australia | Youth Affairs Council Victoria | Association for Children with a Disability | People with Disability Australia (PWDA) | First Peoples Disability Network | National Ethnic Disability Alliance (NEDA) | Disability Advocacy Network Australia (DANA) Ltd | Inclusion Australia | Down Syndrome Australia | Vision Australia | Deaf Victoria Inc. | Spinal Cord Injuries Australia | Blind Citizens Australia | Expression Australia | Disability Employment Australia | Brain Injury Australia Limited

The Achieve Foundation are, once again, delighted to be the main sponsor of the Disability Leadership Oration. The Oration is an annual initiative of the Disability Leadership Institute, held each year to lead the discussion on disability leadership and set the national agenda – an incredibly important issue for us. Linked to the International Day of People with Disabilities, the Oration is a destination annual event for the calendars of the broader disability community, business and government leaders, and anyone interested in thought leadership and equality. Each year a prominent disability leader shares their perspective on disability leadership, where it is going and what it looks like. Taking a broad view, they will outline the way forward and consider what needs to be done and who should be part of making progress happen. The 2024 Disability Leadership Orator is Dr Scott Avery. Held at the National Archive of Australia, Canberra on Tuesday 26 November 1.30 pm or via livestream, this is a not-to-be-missed event. Tickets are now available and can be purchased at: https://lnkd.in/g7nE-t9a We hope you can attend this amazing event. #Disability #DisabilityLeadership #Inclusion #DisabilityInclusion

Last week, our Programs Director, Deena Rosalky, PhD, participated in a panel discussion at the Advancing Equity Summit organised by Country to Coast QLD in Noosa.    Moderated by Dr Norman Swan, Deena joined Roger Meany (Thriving Kids Queensland Partnership) and Matthew Cox (The Bryan Foundation) on the panel to provide insights for innovative funding strategies and collaboration for advancing equity. Deena highlighted the value of evidence-based philanthropy and disability-led innovation to advance disability inclusion and unlock the disability inclusion dividend (developed in partnership with Deloitte and leaders with disability - full report here: https://lnkd.in/gJ6qQ3cT) .   The Summit was a great opportunity for leaders working to overcome inequity in our communities to come together and explore pathways for achieving sustainable change.

The Achieve Foundation welcomes Kylie Clear to our team in the role of Auslan Interpreter. Kylie grew up using Auslan with deaf parents and siblings. She has used her personal experience with Auslan to become a professional interpreter after completing her diploma in interpreting in 2010, becoming a qualified NAATI certified interpreter and went on to do a masters in Interpreting and Translating at Macquarie University. Kylie is an amazingly skilled interpreter alongside being a fabulous human. Kylie's role in interpreting for the team and with partners is critical to our effectiveness as a team. The role of an Auslan interpreter within an organisation is incredibly rare in Australia and we are very proud to be an organisation that is able to dedicate the resources necessary to ensure an inclusive workplace. Over time, we'll share what we learn in the hope that this becomes a more common part of Australian workplaces. We are incredibly fortunate to have Kylie on our team! Find out more about our team at The Achieve Foundation by visiting: #Disability #DisabilityInclusion #Inclusion #Auslan