Regional Disability Advocacy Service

03/02/2026

✊ TAKE CHARGE OF CHANGE

Starting school, landing a job, or accessing a new service – life’s big moments can be daunting. But having the right information can help you take charge of change with confidence.

This month, our friends at Children and Young People with Disability Australia are recruiting 40 new young people with disability, parents and caregivers to help design practical resources for navigating life’s turns.

🎯 Their goal? To provide the disability community with the tools to thrive while helping providers make their services more inclusive.

You can join one of their four co-design groups for:

👩‍👦 Parents and caregivers of children with disability aged 0 – 7
👨‍👧 Parents and caregivers of children with disability aged 8 – 12
🧑‍🎓 Young people with disability aged 13 – 17
🧑‍⚕️ Young people with disability aged 18 – 25

Selected participants will meet online regularly from March to December 2026.

Spaces are limited, apply by 15 Feb: https://cyda.org.au/take-charge-of-change-wave-2-expressions-of-interest-now-open/

30/01/2026

Your voice matters. Your experience matters. Your leadership matters.

SPARK is a FREE 10 session women’s leadership program for women aged 18+ with disability who have previously experienced family or domestic violence.

Build confidence. Learn more about self-advocacy and human rights. Connect with other like-minded women.

WHERE: Wagga Wagga & Albury-Wodonga
WHEN: Starting February 2025

Limited places available — Expressions Of Interest in the program are reviewed as received.
To register your interest or find out more: www.rdas.org.au/SPARK or contact us on 1800 250 292 or admin@rdas.org.au

(Easy-read information also available on our website.)

28/01/2026

Calling all NSW early childhood educators!

The Disability and Inclusion Program is a NSW Government Department of Education initiative which provides funding and support to enable children with disability or additional needs in not-for-profit community preschools to participate in a quality early childhood education program on the same basis as their peers.

Applications are now open. For all further information, please go to https://education.nsw.gov.au/early-childhood-education/operating-an-early-childhood-education-service/grants-and-funded-programs/disability-and-inclusion-program

28/01/2026

From the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission's Instagram page:

Your provider’s role is to deliver safe, person-centred supports and services.

An independent advocate’s role is to represent you – and only you – without conflict or competing interests.

Providers can share factual information about NDIS services and refer you to independent advocacy organisations. But they cannot represent you as your advocate.

Separating these roles keeps boundaries clear and your rights protected.

🔗 Learn more via at https://www.ndiscommission.gov.au/complaints/help-advocate

27/01/2026

“I have loved every minute of it, I have learned so much and look forward to going forward with it.”

We’ve had really positive feedback from our 2025 SPARK Women’s Leadership Program participants.

We’ve got a few places left for our next intake of our FREE Women’s Leadership Program (SPARK). SPARK is for women aged 18+ with disability who have previously experienced family or domestic violence. All disabilities are welcomed, no medical diagnosis required.

WHERE: Wagga Wagga & Albury-Wodonga
WHEN: Starting from late February 2025

SPARK supports women to:
✔ Grow their unique leadership skills and style
✔ Learn more about self-advocacy and human rights
✔ Strengthen emotional wellbeing and self-care strategies
✔ Connect with other like-minded women

Limited places available due to small group numbers — Expressions Of Interest in the program are reviewed as received.

To register interest or find out more: www.rdas.org.au/SPARK or contact us on 1800 250 292 or admin@rdas.org.au

(Easy-read information also available on our website)

26/01/2026

Client Case Study: Jay & Jo

Jay is a young man who chooses to live by himself. He also lives with profound disabilities and requires 24/7 care and support. As an NDIS participant, Jay was at risk of losing funding for his support needs and facing the prospect of having to move into a share house against his wishes.

Jay’s mum, Jo, knew this would be terrible for Jay, so she asked RDAS to help her fight for his rights at an upcoming Administrative Review Tribunal (ART) hearing. She was assigned an Advocate who had a wealth of knowledge about the system and determination to see it through to the end.

Jo’s Advocate worked with a lawyer to compile all the evidence and documentation Jay needed to successfully persuade the NDIA that he should be allowed to stay in his own home. In fact Jay’s case never even made it to trial, as the NDIA came to an agreement with him and his team before the hearing date. What a thrilling result for Jo and a wonderful, life-changing outcome for Jay!

09/01/2026

This year, our friends at Children and Young People with Disability Australia (CYDA) officially launched Take Charge of Change – a set of exciting new resources to help you navigate life’s big changes.

Whether you or your child is starting school, finding a job, or moving out of home for the first time, they’ve got you covered with:
📘 Guides, handbooks, and factsheets
💬 Blog posts and advice articles on ‘Doing Adulthood’
🧒 A children’s book about starting school
🎙️ Podcasts and videos
🗓️ Planners and digital posters

The resources were co-designed with 40 young people with disability, families, and caregivers. They’re free, accessible, and easy to share – so you can Take Charge of Change with confidence.

Check them out at cyda.org.au/TakeCharge 🔗

09/01/2026

Is your organisation's website accessible?

Check out this free series of short videos from Recite Me Australia to learn about the 5 most common accessibility issues and how to fix them. Each video explains the problem and the fix in simple, jargon-free terms so your team can start making immediate improvements.

Learn more here:

How to fix the top 5 most common WCAG accessibility issues on modern websites. Through a set of short videos, you will learn how to fix: Missing alt tags, improve low contrast text, repair empty links and buttons, add proper form field labels, and set the right document language. Along the way, you....

23/12/2025

Although we are closing over the Christmas/New Year period, fortunately our emergency services don't.

If you have an emergency, please call 000.

If you need immediate mental health support, call Lifeline on 13 11 14 OR Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636.

18/12/2025

We're very pleased to let you know that we're now taking expressions of interest for the next intake of SPARK participants!

Wagga and Wodonga programs to begin in February 2026 - exact dates to be confirmed.

Wangaratta and Griffith programs to begin later in the year.

SPARK is a leadership program for women with disability who have experienced family or domestic violence. For more information and to complete the expression of interest form, please go to https://rdas.org.au/spark/.

18/12/2025

Our Summer 2025-26 edition of The Advocate is available for reading now at https://mailchi.mp/rdas.org.au/the-advocate-newsletter-summer2025

18/12/2025