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Recipients announced! – National Awards for Disability Leadership

MEDIA RELEASE

3 December 2025

Recipients announced!

National Awards for Disability Leadership.

A wonderful group of 8 Recipients across 7 categories is announced today in the National Awards for Disability Leadership.

The Recipients illustrate the incredible expertise and approach undertaken by disabled people in pursuing equality and recognition for our community. see full list with bios

Deserved recognition for Damian Griffis, Recipient of the Lesley Hall Award for Lifetime Achievement. Damian is the CEO of First Peoples Disability Network and has committed countless hours to both First Nations and disability communities. He is respected and loved by many as he continues to work to ensure that First Nations disabled people are part of building the solutions and have the supports they require. Damian has been instrumental in building internal structures at the NDIS amongst many other important bodies of work over many years.

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 are 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

Rights Activism

  • Sarah Langston

 Inclusion (for operating intersectionally)

  • George Ayoub

Innovation

  • Karen Hedley

 Social Impact

  • Danielle Kutchel

Change Making

  • Clare Gibellini
  • Wayne Herbert

Arts

  • Fi Peel

#DisabilityAwards2025

https://disabilityleaders.com.au/disability-leaders/national-awards/