Finalists Announced! – National Awards for Disability Leadership 2025
An outstanding field of 22 Finalists across 7 categories is announced today in the leadup to the National Awards for Disability Leadership. Recipients will be announced on 3 December 2025, International Day for People with Disabilities.
The finalists illustrate the breadth of work undertaken by disabled people in pursuing equality and recognition for disabled people. (see full list with bios)
The 2025 finalists feature an Easy Read specialist, a deaf storyteller, a young First Nations woman making change at the United Nations, a journalist, a respected multicultural communities pioneer, a regional Australia change maker, LGBTIQA+ activists, a prominent autism advocate, rights activists across a range of fields including education and dance, the founder of a parents advocacy organisation, and a First Nations leaders, amongst others.
These Awards reflect what is important to disabled people and the ways that we are effecting change and pursuing equality for our community. They recognise outstanding achievements by individuals and organisations who have significantly contributed to advancing the status of disabled people.
The Awards will be delivered across seven categories for outstanding achievement or outcomes by disabled people, reflecting the diversity of our community, and the intersectional nature of our lives, including The Arts, Change Making, Rights Activism, Innovation, Social Impact, Inclusion (for intersectional work), and the Lesley Hall Award for Lifetime Achievement.
The National Awards for Disability Leadership are owned and run solely by disabled people (following the federal government stepping back in 2018), all nominees are disabled people and all those associated with the Awards are disabled people.
Summary
Lesley Hall Award for Lifetime Achievement
- Damian Griffis
- Jarrod Sandell-Hay
Rights Activism
- Nabila Laska
- Sarah Langston
- Tahlia-Rose Vanissum
Inclusion
- Chloe Rattray
- George Ayoub
- Tahlia-Rose Vanissum
Innovation
- Linda Tuxford-Adams
- Karen Hedley
- Aaron Green
Social Impact
- Purple Orange Podcast
- Laura Pettenuzzo
- Danielle Kutchel
Change Making
- Clare Gibellini
- Rebecca McCash
- Wayne Herbert
- Jenny Smith
- Tessa Deak
Arts
- Fi Peel
- Ramas McRae
- Kathie Elliott-Scott