Featured Speakers
DEA Board
Disability Employment Australia
Adjunct Research Fellow
USQ
Principal Industry Fellow
Centre for Social Impact (CSI), Swinburne University
Research Fellow
Centre for Social Impact (CSI), Swinburne University
General Manager
NOVA Employment
National Manager for Work and Study Online
headspace National Youth Mental Health Foundation
CEO
Service and Creative Skills Australia
Director of Engagement, Employment Outcomes
National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA)
Australian political scientist
Training And Placement Specialist
Chapter 1 Employment
Human Resources Director
M&H Ward Group
Branch Manager
Department of Social Services
Project Officer
Centre for Social Impact (CSI), College of Business, Government, and Law, Flinders University
Community Researcher
Centre for Social Impact (CSI), College of Business, Government, and Law, Flinders University
Department of Employment and Workplace Relations
General Manager – Disability Employment Group
Department of Social Services
Project Worker
Scope Australia
Senior Research Fellow
Centre for Social Impact (CSI), College of Business, Government, and Law, Flinders University
Research Fellow
Centre for Social Impact (CSI), College of Business, Government, and Law, Flinders University
General Manager
Hotel Etico Australia
Professor
Australian Catholic University
Reverse Marketing Sales Coach
Employment Services Training
Director
Centre for Social Impact (CSI), Swinburne University
Senior Project Officer, IncludeAbility, Disability Rights Team
Human Rights Commission
Chief Operating Officer
Prospert
Policy Officer
Inclusion Australia
Employment Services Manager
The Disability Trust
Group Manager
Department of Employment and Workplace Relations
Policy Manager
Disability Employment Australia
Social Policy Researcher
ANU
Executive General Manager
The Disability Trust
CEO
Institute of Capacity Building
National Manager of Disability Employment
GenU Training
APAC Account Manager
AutoGen AI
CEO & Chief Behavioural Scientist
Azurum
Advisor, NED, Founder and former CEO of AND, and Inaugural DEA chairperson
Chief Executive Officer
Disability Employment Australia
Senior Advisor Youth Transition Disability
Brotherhood of St Laurence
Australia
Senior Policy Officer
Brotherhood of St Laurence
Australia
UoM-BSL Principal Research Fellow
University of Melbourne
Australia
Author, advocate and public speaker
Research Lead
Australian Disability Network
MC
Hootville Communications
Project Worker, Speech Pathologist, Communication Access Consultant
Scope (Aust.)
Australia
Senior Economist
Indeed Hiring Lab
Autistic author and advocate
Director of Progress and Property
LEAD Disability Services
Author, gold medal winning swimmer, motivational speaker & inclusion advocate
IPS Program Manager
headspace Youth Mental Health Foundation
Australia
Head of Vocational Programs
headspace National Youth Mental Health Foundation
Australia
General Manager
JobAccess
Australia
Inclusive Communications Professional
The DEA 2024 Conference is the ideal gathering place for you, the people seeking to influence this generational change in policy, planning, and practice in rapidly evolving landscape of the disability employment sector.
This is a significant opportunity for you to engage directly with what is going on in disability and employment. Following an optional Practitioners’ Forum and Tender Readiness Workshop, we will have two days full of the latest and best analysis of the current sector developments, leading edge practice program ideas and thinking about future changes.
In addition to impressive keynote speakers and panels, our breakout sessions have garnered a reputation as the engine room of the Conference. There is always a lot going on during these sessions and DEA is delighted to platform an eclectic range of experts to inform our own thinking.
As we’ve noted elsewhere, this is an absolutely critical time for DES, for disability employment policy and for providers. The DEA Conference is the right place to meet, engage, contest, network and build your capability.
To that end, we are seeking your contributions and are now calling for papers to be presented at this year’s Conference. We have listed a range of core themes and invite papers on these. Please click here for more information.
We are looking for evidence-based, best practice, results-driven presentations. This is your chance to showcase your initiatives that demonstrate improved employment outcomes for people with disability.
For more information click here.
As you know, the program drives discussions across the event. In breaks and drinks, coffee catchups and the Gala dinner, the pulse of the Conference is networking. Representatives from DSS and NDIA will be here, so take your opportunity to network with our peers in those departments and agencies. Across a lectern or a coffee, this is your chance to be involved and have your voice heard!
Tuesday 11 June 2024
Workshop, Forum & Welcome Reception
1:00 pm – 3:00 pm
The Residence
DEA’s Practitioners’ Forum in Association with genU Training
Wayne Herbert
– Director of Progress and Property, LEAD Disability Services
Matt Levy OAM
– Author, gold medal winning swimmer, motivational speaker & inclusion advocate
Lauren Peacock
– CEO, Institute of Capacity Building
Dan Gavin
– National Manager of Disability Employment, GenU Training
Paul Diviny
– CEO, Prospert
Rana Kordahi
– Reverse Marketing Sales Coach, Employment Services Training
Keryl Neville
– CEO, Lead Employment
Tania Jovanovska
– Campbell Page
Mayfair 1 Room
Tender Writing Workshop
Darren Coppin
– CEO & Chief Behavioural Scientist, Azurum
Jess Barwood
– APAC Account Manager, AutoGen AI
Malene Rohde
– Chief Operating Officer, Prospert
Peter Bacon
– Chief Executive Officer, Disability Employment Australia
Tim Flowers
– Principal, Insight First
Wednesday 12 June 2024
Conference Day 1
9:10 am – 9:20 am
Savoy Ballroom
Welcome – Day 1
Brett de hoedt
– MC, Hootville Communications
11:00 am – 11:45 am
Savoy Ballroom
Diversity Pathways: co-designing an accessible and inclusive workplace with employers and people with cognitive disability in the hospitality and retail industries
Dr Jung Yoon
– Research Fellow, Centre for Social Impact (CSI), College of Business, Government, and Law, Flinders University
Dr Claire Hutchinson
– Senior Research Fellow, Centre for Social Impact (CSI), College of Business, Government, and Law, Flinders University
Lachlan Dunn
– Community Researcher, Centre for Social Impact (CSI), College of Business, Government, and Law, Flinders University
Michelle Strudwick
– Project Officer, Centre for Social Impact (CSI), College of Business, Government, and Law, Flinders University
11:45 am – 12:30 pm
Savoy Ballroom
IncludeAbility – Ensuring equality in employment
Rhiannon Walker
– Senior Project Officer, IncludeAbility, Disability Rights Team, Human Rights Commission
Professor Erin Wilson
– Director, Centre for Social Impact (CSI), Swinburne University
2:15 pm – 3:15 pm
Savoy Ballroom
Panel Session – Unpacking DES Reform
Catherine McAlpine
– CEO, Inclusion Australia
Mathew McIntyre
– Executive General Manager, The Disability Trust
Dr Ann Nevile
– Social Policy Researcher, ANU
Peter Bacon
– Chief Executive Officer, Disability Employment Australia
Suzanne Colbert AM, GAICD
– Advisor, NED, Founder and former CEO of AND, and Inaugural DEA chairperson
Professor Erin Wilson
– Director, Centre for Social Impact (CSI), Swinburne University
4:20 pm – 5:00 pm
Savoy Ballroom
In our words
Wayne Herbert
– Director of Progress and Property, LEAD Disability Services
Yenn Purkis
– Autistic author and advocate
Alastair McEwin AM
– Disability Consultant
Thursday 13 June 2024
Conference Day 2
9:15 am – 10:00 am
Savoy Rooms 1 & 2
DES Reform
Kellie Spence
– General Manager – Disability Employment Group, Department of Social Services
11:30 am – 12:30 pm
Savoy Rooms 1 & 2
What do good quality jobs look like for People with Disabilities?
Professor Jo Ingold
– Professor, Australian Catholic University
Daniel Valiente-Riedl
– General Manager, JobAccess, Australia
Saraya O’Connell
– General Manager, Hotel Etico Australia
Dr Karina Davis
– CEO, Jobs Bank
Joshua Bamford
– Human Resources Director, M&H Ward Group
Rebbecca Jurkiewicz
– Training And Placement Specialist, Chapter 1 Employment
2:00 pm – 2:45 pm
Mayfair 1 Room
Partnering with employers
Suzanne Colbert AM, GAICD
– Advisor, NED, Founder and former CEO of AND, and Inaugural DEA chairperson
3:45 pm – 3:55 pm
Savoy Rooms 1 & 2
Closing Remarks
David Coles
– DEA Board, Disability Employment Australia
