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2025 Finalists

National Awards for Disability Leadership

The Finalists for 2025 are:

Summary

Lesley Hall Award for Lifetime Achievement

  • Damian Griffis
  • Jarrod Sandell-Hay

Rights Activism

  • Nabila Laskar
  • 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

 

Damian is speaking at a lectern, he is wearing a blue jumper and red tie he has dark hair and a short beard.
Damian Griffis – Lesley Hall Award for Lifetime Achievement
Damian Griffis is a Worimi man and a leading advocate for the human rights of First Nations people with disability. Damian has been the longstanding central figure in the establishment of First Peoples Disability Network, recognised as the national peak in Indigenous and disability policy.

 

Jarrod is wearing a white shirt and a large hat, he has dark hair, glasses and a long beard.
Jarrod Sandell-Hay – Lesley Hall Award for Lifetime Achievement
Jarrod Sandell-Hay is a disabled leader whose sustained, values-driven work has delivered real outcomes for disabled people. Through peer leadership, policy influence and communication rights advocacy, he turns complex reforms into practical action, builds confident communities, and removes barriers in schools, health and the NDIS.

 

Nabila is sitting in a large power wheelchair, she has on a pink top underneath a blue coat. She has long dark hair and bright lipstick.
Nabila Laskar – Rights Activism
Nabila is a member of Spinal Cord Injury Australia’s Parramatta Advocacy Community Network where she is active in self-advocacy initiatives as well as supporting other members to advocate for themselves. Nabila is dedicated to activating for the rights of PWD in a diverse world where inclusivity is the key.

 

Tahlia has red hair, a black top and glasses and is standing in front of a First Nations artwork and a brick wall. She is smiling!
Tahlia-Rose Vanissum – Rights Activism
Tahlia-Rose Vanissum is a proud Woppaburra woman. She brings lived experience of family violence and is dedicated to confronting systemic discrimination affecting Indigenous peoples, especially women and people with disability.

 

Sarah has short blond hair and is looking at us with her chin resting on her right hand. She is wearing a black top and is in front of a green coloured artwork on an easel.
Sarah Langston – Rights Activism
Sarah Langston is a powerful disability rights advocate who founded the Australian Neurodivergent Parents Association and co-founded the Nobody Worse Off Coalition. Her leadership has defended the rights of neurodivergent people against NDIS cuts and discriminatory reforms.

 

Jenny is smiling and looking off camera. She is wearing a blue top.
Jenny Smith – Change Making
Jenny Smith is a disability advocate, speaker, and mentor who drives change through policy, programs, and community initiatives. She champions inclusion, accessibility, and co-design, using public engagement and digital storytelling to raise awareness, challenge stigma, to create real outcomes

 

Rebecca has long blonde hair and is wearing a black patterned top. She is smiling at us.
Rebecca McCash – Change Making
Rebecca leads FutureTech, a neurodivergent-led enterprise transforming programs, policies, and mindsets. Her work shifts systems from the inside—co-designing national strategies, embedding new wellbeing frameworks, and creating paid peer roles for neurodivergent people.

 

Clare has upswept short hair and is wearing large blue and white earrings and a black top. She has a big smile.
Clare Gibellini – Change Making
Clare was the Co-Chair of the Oversight Council for Australia’s first National Autism Strategy. Her work is distinguished by her leadership in climate change, disaster preparedness, and gender equality. She ensures the voices of people with disability are central in climate and emergency planning.

 

Wayne has a big smile and short dark hair with a fringe. He is wearing a blue linen material jacket.
Wayne Herbert – Change Making
Wayne is a leader of uncommon insight and social impact. His professional achievements speak volumes: he has advised government, corporate, and non-profit organisations on complex policy reform, Nationally and Internationally particularly on LGBTIQA+ and disability inclusion, employment, and equity. He is widely recognised for his ability to bridge strategic vision with practical implementation.

 

Tessa is wearing a crochet white top and brown trousers, she is sitting in a red manual wheelchair. She has short dark hair and large yellow earrings.
Tessa Deak – Change Making
Tessa brings first-hand experience of the extra barriers faced by disabled people in regional areas. Through SKILL SA, the Regional Employment Project, peer networks and council partnerships, she amplifies regional voices and leads work to ensure services and systems are inclusive, responsive, and designed with disabled people from the start.

 

Chloe has shoulder length brown hair and glasses, she is smiling. Chloe is against a grass field background, she is wearing a brown top over a white long sleeved top.
Chloe T. Rattray – Inclusion
Chloe Rattray is a researcher, advocate and program designer driving disability inclusion across sectors. She sits on the NDRP board, founded BHP’s disability network, manages an LGBTQIA+ mentoring program, and is a PhD student researching queer and disabled futures in children’s media.

 

George is sitting in a power wheelchair and wearing a green tshirt. Behind him is a Legal Aid NSW picture with the Opera House and Harbour Bridge in it.

George Ayoub – Inclusion
George has made a significant impact in advancing disability rights by founding Solution Ideas Ability Boutique, a disability-led organisation in Western Sydney. Through inclusive employment, community engagement, and advocacy, he champions equity and accessibility, ensuring diverse and intersectional disabled voices are represented and empowered in decision-making and local initiatives.

 

Tahlia has long red coloured hair and glasses, she is wearing a black top. She is in front of an Indigenous artwork and a brick wall.
Tahlia-Rose Vanissum – Inclusion
Tahlia-Rose Vanissum is a proud Woppaburra woman with a disability, a carer, and Traditional Owner of the Keppel Islands in Queensland, Australia. She brings lived experience as an advocate for Indigenous poeples and women with disability across numerous community groups and government.

 

Linda is wearing glasses and a black top. They have long dark hair and headphones on.
Linda Tuxford-Adams – Innovation
Linda Tuxford-Adams founded Neurokindred, an Autistic-led, peer-designed mental health ecosystem creating innovative, safe-enough, community-based support for Autistic adults. Their work proves disabled people can create systems that centre lived experience, equity, and community-led healing.

 

Karen has shoulder length dark hair and is wearing a red top and black cardigan. She is against a brown background.
Karen Hedley – Innovation
Karen Hedley, Easy Read specialist, is driving visibility of people with disability through accessible communication. As founder of The Easy Read Toolbox and co-founder of the International Easy Read Community of Practice, she’s transforming how organisations represent and engage disabled people.

 

Aaron is wearing a pink shirt and a cap, he also has glasses on and is looking towards our left. He has short hair.
Aaron Green – Innovation
Aaron Green is a driving force behind disability inclusion at Murdoch University, leading with bold, innovative action. He created the “Come As You Are” network, piloted accessible event training with YDAN, raised awareness of hidden disabilities through workshops, and is driving plans for EV trikes and sensory rooms to build a truly inclusive campus.

 

Laura is sitting down low and is resting her arms on her knees. She has dark hair, big red earrings and is wearing a blue dress.
Laura Pettenuzzo – Social Impact
Laura has contributed to mainstream awareness of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Many people report that they take precautions due to her writing. She increases visibility of disabled people through her articles in outlets such as ABC Lifestyle, SBS, Meanjin, The Age, The Guardian and Griffith Review. An authenticity reader, she’s also ensured better disability representation in children’s books.

 

Danielle has blonde hair and is wearing a patterned black top. She is against a background of trees in a park.
Danielle Kutchel – Social Impact
Danielle is currently working with the ABC in a regional bureau, she uses her position to shine a light on those living with disability: highlighting positive stories as well as injustices where they occur. Her stories have led the ABC’s coverage on some issues and reached thousands of readers, normalising inclusion in mainstream media.

 

Two disabled women are sitting talking to each other with a camera filming them. One is sitting is a power wheelchair the other is talking and gesticulating. There is a pot plant to the left.
Purple Orange Podcast – Social Impact
Produced by JFA Purple Orange and hosted by disability advocate and proud disabled woman Belle Owen, the podcast’s first official season was in 2023. Each season shares real stories from disabled people on love, work, identity and more, centering disabled voices and honest storytelling.

 

Ramas is wearing a black relaxed shape suit and a yellow beanie. He has a large red beard. He is standing in front of a Melbourne International Film Festival media wall with logos of the AFL and Footy Shorts on it.
Ramunas (Ramas) McRae – Arts
Ramas co-founded the biennial Flow Festival, the only national celebration of deaf arts & culture, is a film maker, having directed 4 films featuring deaf characters & is a deaf storyteller, leading workshops for Alter State. In 2025, Ramas screen wrote & directed “Eye of the Game”, a documentary profiling a deaf ruckman who challenges expectations in the AFL where communication dominates. This was chosen as 1 of 5 Footy Shorts films featured at the 2025 Melbourne International Film Festival including in Victoria’s Federation Square.

 

Kathie is sitting at a table with an old typewriter on it and a book. She is in front of an ornate staircase. She has long blonde hair and is wearing a white jacket.
Kathie Elliott-Scott – Arts
Kathie transforms Australia’s arts landscape through creative excellence and systemic change. She co-created Poised on the Pointe of Pain, led its national publicity, and built funded stages, scholarships and awards for disabled musicians – advancing visibility, access and leadership across artforms.

 

Fi is wearing a large greenish jumper with a big roll neck. They have short reddish hair and glasses.
Fi Peel – Arts
Fi Peel is a disabled artist and researcher reshaping how we make and experience art. Through their performance work (in development ) “A Glimmer of Hope” and their Master’s – The Right to Creative Vulnerability, they champion universal access and celebrate disability as a powerful force for change. Fi expands opportunities for disabled artists in the ACT and further afield by building access-led creative spaces for artists and audiences, embedding co-design in major arts projects and mentoring emerging artists. Their advocacy and research continues to challenge sector standards around universal access, while their practice amplifies intersectional explorations of identity, agency and voice.

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