Develop, support, promote disability leaders
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This Directory contains listings of disability led businesses, owned and run by members of the Disability Leadership Institute.
It is available to search for anyone wishing to use more disabled talent through consulting or to access specialist expertise or services. You are able to contact an individual business directly using the contact form with the listing.
We hope you use this opportunity to use more disabled talent.
If you wish to appoint someone to your team or board, please use our National Register, which lists several hundred disabled people across Australia seeking opportunities. We will share your advertisement directly with those listed on the National Register.
NDIS & Disability Policy Consultant and Non-Executive Director blending professional expertise with lived experience of deafblindness.
Expertise
NDIS, national and state disability policy including NDIS Review and Disability Royal Commission reforms
Accessibilityand disability
Governance and leadership, including advisory on accessible and inclusive boardroom/workplace leadership practice
Type of work
Consultations
Research and analysis
Policy submissions
Public speaking
Media and writing
Project work
Advisory (disability/accessibility/governance)
Knowable.Me was founded to address the lack of available data and insights on the needs and preferences of people with disability.
We aim to help your business by providing the building blocks for you to be more inclusive, have greater empathy, and create more value.
Our member panel can provide you with a full suite of market research programs from surveys and user experience testing, to mystery shopping and product reviews. All from the perspective of people with disabilities and their support networks.
Our vision: We believe that every person deserves to live their best life. We envision an equitable and inclusive society where all disabled and multiply marginalised people can thrive.
Our purpose: We provide wellbeing, equity and inclusion support and education that is lived-experience based and rooted in disability justice and an anti-oppression approach.
Our values: Kultivate- We believe that everyone can grow and improve how we live, and how we treat ourselves, each other and the environment. We regularly work to improve how we do things, unlearn our biases and do better for our communities. We respect and work with our clients’ values and capacities to kultivate a meaningful life.
Equity- We believe that all people deserve to have access to what they need in order to thrive. This includes everything from physical access to buildings, to bias-free healthcare, and everything in between.
Community- We are active participants in our own communities. We strive to understand and work with people’s communities and context. Where people live, their histories, cultures and barriers all matter, and we consider these in all we do.
Mindful-We strive to be fully present and engaged in what we’re doing and what matters. We are mindful of the people we work with, ourselves, our context and our environment.
About the founder - Liel Bridgford:
"I’m a Psychologist, writer, educator, and podcaster. I'm a proud disabled, immigrant, non-conforming femme, who uses she/they pronouns and is based in Naarm.
I love supporting people with chronic health conditions or disabilities, and helping disabled people live their best life.
Working with fellow disabled adults on their mental health and overall wellbeing is both my passion and a great privilege. As someone who has lived with a disability for more than 30 years, I want to make a difference in the lives of disabled people. Working alongside my clients, I strive to be not only your therapist, but your ally.
My work focuses on inclusive, accessible, holistic, and trauma-informed support and education, by centering lived experience. I am passionate about working from an intersectional feminist perspective and using an anti-oppression approach.
I have worked in the mental health and disability sectors for over a decade. I am experienced in supporting people who live with disability, psychosocial challenges, anxiety, family violence, suicide ideation, perinatal mood challenges, adjustment issues and more.
In 2025 I was the winner of the Brenda Gabe Leadership Award. Before then, I have been selected as an honoree for Diversability’s annual D-30 Disability Impact List 2024, an ABC TOP 5 Arts resident, editor of Writing Place Magazine 2022 and a 2023 Melbourne Access and Inclusion Award finalist. I have facilitated education and writing workshops in schools and organisations across Australia and internationally, focusing on anti-ableism, equity, inclusion and wellbeing.
My work is published in ABC Arts, Mamamia, Hireup, the anthology We’ve Got This by Black Inc. Books and Scribe UK, Mascara Literary Review, amongst others. I have appeared on various media outlets including ABC radio, 3RC radio, Able radio, ABC News and Channel Nine News. I am particularly fascinated by intersectionality and am the creator and host of the (Un)marginalised podcast.
I founded Kultivate to continue working towards wellbeing, equity, inclusion and disability justice."
About our Psychologist Lizzie Cupper:
"I recently completed my Master of Clinical Psychology, and I am overjoyed to have an opportunity to work at Kultivate. I’m a proud country girl (she/her pronouns) who grew up in the mallee and now live in Melbourne with my husband and two happy (aka: spoilt) cats.
In 2012, I was diagnosed with MS and, looking back, I launched into a panic/survival mode – postponing my postgraduate studies as I tried to prioritise seeing family and thinking about any “bucket list” items.
With the advantage of hindsight, I can look back on that scared, recently married young woman and reflect on how far I have come. For me, chronic illness and disability hasn’t necessarily stopped me from achieving my dreams – but it’s taken me much longer than what was on the brochure!
I have worked in the mental health sector for five years, with experience in supporting people experiencing depression and anxiety, adjustment issues, psychosocial challenges, suicide ideation, disability and more.
I joined Kultivate because I believe in Liel’s vision to work with fellow disabled adults in a collaborative manner to live their best lives.
In my free time, I love to play Angry Birds (yes, it still exists) and spend time with my little fam at home."
I work with national and international business and industry, helping them understand why disability representation matters AND show them how to improve it in their workplace practices and communications content. I'm the Disability Affairs Officer at Media Diversity Australia and have been a Board Member with Queensland Health for over a decade. It's an eclectic mix of roles.
Marco Polo Portal is an innovative technology company revolutionizing the disability housing market with its unique Marco Polo App. Designed to address the critical challenges faced by NDIS participants, our platform empowers individuals with disabilities by providing unprecedented choice and control in selecting their housemates and housing providers. This participant-centric approach not only enhances the autonomy and quality of life for users but also levels the playing field for smaller service providers and streamlines the process for support coordinators.
Founded in August 2023 by Aaron Cotton and Amy Connelly, Marco Polo Portal is committed to transforming the NDIS Home and Living sector. Our mission is to foster a more inclusive and equitable environment where people with disabilities can live their lives as they choose. The Marco Polo App offers a user-friendly interface that connects participants, providers, and support coordinators, ensuring fair and efficient matching based on the individual needs and preferences of participants.
With a strong focus on ethical service provision, quality assurance, and continuous improvement, Marco Polo aims to set new standards in the disability housing market. Our platform reduces the administrative burden on providers, helps fill vacancies more effectively, and offers a safe, transparent, and empowering solution for all users.
Minds At Play recognises the challenges often associated with engaging children, youth and adults with disabilities. Our gaming sessions aim to offer a safe environment in which players can have a positive social experience, while playing a well established social and fantasy based game involving role playing and self awareness.
Our online Dungeons and Dragons program can help improve many social and cognitive skills. The game sees players sharing a common interest, encouraging the formation of friendships, and assisting the development of self-confidence and socialisation skills.
Our Minecraft program has been developed to build confidence in a range of social and communication skills. Each player has a specific role, and they work together as a team to build a model while practising other vital skills such as sharing, listening, joint attention and problem-solving.
They’ll have fun, explore their creativity and interact with others in a supported digital environment.
Modality Co is a disability-led bespoke digital accessibility consultancy based in lutruwita/Tasmania.
Our Services include:
Consulting: Bespoke digital accessibility services, specialising in serving sole traders, small businesses, local governments, and not-for-profits
Coaching: Accessibility coaching sessions for individuals and teams to upskill and help you achieve your accessibility goals.
Connecting: Presenting at conferences and reaching businesses through training.
Community: Digital accessibility meetup groups around lutruwita/Tasmania, where everyone is welcome if they want to learn more about accessibility.No matter where you are at in your accessibility journey, we are here to support you.
We believe that everyone should have equal opportunities to access and participate in the arts. The creative and cultural industries should reflect and represent our diverse society. These values are at the core of our personal and professional goals and our work as arts consultants, specialising in access, diversity, equity and inclusion.
We work with arts, cultural and other organisations to make improvements and create positive change, through strategy, planning, research, evaluation, co-design, consultation and training. On any given day, this might look like facilitating strategy sessions, running consultations, writing an Equity Action Plan or delivering Disability Inclusion Training.
Why choose us?
1. Making accessibility real: We bring lived experience and professional expertise to help you get it right.
2. Breaking down barriers: We help you increase access and inclusion through tangible, practical advice.
3. Achievable outcomes: Morwenna Collett and Associates is your partner in accessibility and diversity – delivering practical inclusion strategies that work.
Neurokindred is Autistic-led non-profit social enterprise focused on providing quality, affordable, accessible, trauma-sensitive, and gender-inclusive mental health and wellbeing support for Autistic adults navigating the journey of self-discovery and acceptance following identification. We as a community understand the unique experiences and challenges faced by Autistic adults. Our mission is to provide a safe, neuro-affirming community where Autistic adults can explore their identities, process their experiences, connect with neurokin and thrive authentically.
Our approach is rooted in lived experience, ensuring that our services resonate deeply with those we support. We recognise the importance of community and shared understanding in fostering well-being. By centering Autistic voices and experiences, we aim to prioritise the provision and development of Autistic-led, co-designed, and innovative supports for Autistics, by Autistics.
At Neurokindred, we are committed to inclusivity and respect for all individuals, regardless of background, gender, sexuality, culture, location or ability. We strive to create an environment where diversity is celebrated, and every person feels valued and understood.
Organised by Owl
Founder: Bailey Wemyss
At Organised by Owl, Bailey Wemyss leverages over 20 years of extensive experience to provide comprehensive consulting, speaking, and writing services. Specializing in disability consultations, advocacy, and research, Bailey’s work focuses on the multifaceted aspects of disability, with a particular emphasis on intersectionality.
Bailey is not only an expert by profession but also brings a deeply personal understanding to the table, with lived experiences of Autism, ADHD, Ehlers Danlos, and other disabilities. As a wheelchair user and a parent of children with disabilities, Bailey’s insights are both profound and empathetic. Additionally, as a proud Aboriginal woman and a member of the LGBTIQA+ communities, Bailey’s work is enriched by a diverse and inclusive perspective.
Bailey’s services include delivering impactful speaking engagements, writing compelling blogs, articles, and research papers, and offering tailored consultations to help organizations and individuals navigate the complexities of disability and intersectionality. Organised by Owl is dedicated to fostering a more inclusive and understanding society through advocacy, education, and collaboration.