Illawarra Advocacy

19/03/2026

Young carers do an incredible job supporting family members, often while balancing school, friendships, and their own wellbeing.
If you’re aged 25 or under and help care for someone, you’re not alone. 💙

Support, information, and services are available through Carer Gateway to help you navigate the challenges of caring.
Check out the post below to learn more and find helpful tips for young carers. 👇

Are you a young carer?

If you’re aged 25 or under and care for someone, you may be a young carer.

Young carers can face unique challenges.

You might find it hard to:

🆘 find the services or help you need
🏫 do well at school when you’re looking after someone else
👥 make or keep friends, or to go out and socialise.

Carer Gateway has information and tips to support you in your caring role.

For more information, see the comments below. 👇

18/03/2026

James Wright's kids loved watching Bluey on TV, but it dawned on him that his daughter who is deaf couldn't enjoy it in sign language.
"I just couldn't look at my three kids and ignore the fact that these great TV shows were only accessible to my two older kids, and my younger daughter had to miss out. Seemed really unfair," he said.
So James petitioned the ABC asking for Bluey to be translated into Auslan, and won!

ABC Listen shares a positive story about making the classic Australian kids cartoon accessible to children who are deaf or hearing impaired.

"Bluey is Australia's favorite show, right? Then every kid deserves the right to experience it," said James Wright whose daughter is deaf.

16/03/2026

🧠 Neurodiversity Celebration Week

This week provides an opportunity to recognise and celebrate neurodiversity within our communities. Neurodiversity acknowledges that people experience and process the world in many different ways, including individuals who are autistic, have ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia, and other neurological differences.

These differences are a natural part of human diversity. When communities, workplaces, and services are inclusive and responsive, neurodivergent people can participate fully and contribute their unique strengths, perspectives, and talents.

Neurodiversity Celebration Week is also an important time to reflect on the barriers that neurodivergent people may face and to continue working towards environments that are respectful, accessible, and supportive for everyone.

Recognising and valuing different ways of thinking helps build stronger, more inclusive communities.

15/03/2026

Last week our team had the opportunity to participate in the DV-alert 2-Day Foundations Workshop.

This important training is designed to support frontline workers to better recognise the signs of domestic and family violence, respond safely and appropriately, and understand what steps to take when someone may need support.

People with disability experience domestic and family violence at significantly higher rates than the general population.
In Australia:
- Around 1 in 5 adults with disability have experienced physical or sexual violence from an intimate partner since the age of 15
- Women with disability are three times more likely than men with disability to experience intimate partner violence
- People with disability are 2-3 times more likely to experience violence compared to people without disability
- Women with disability are also more likely to experience sexual violence and partner abuse than women without disability

Despite this, many people with disability face barriers to reporting violence and accessing support, including inaccessible services, fear of not being believed, and reliance on the perpetrator for care or support.

The experience was incredibly valuable for our team. It strengthened our awareness, deepened our understanding of the complexities of domestic and family violence, and reinforced the importance of creating safe spaces where people feel heard, supported and believed.

We’re grateful for the opportunity to build our skills and to continue learning how we can better support people in our community.

14/03/2026

Pleased to see initiatives like Lifeline South Coast’s Connect Hub offering free, welcoming spaces for people who might need someone to talk to. 💛
If you or someone you know is feeling overwhelmed or lonely, this is a safe place to drop in, connect, and explore support options.
Community care starts with connection — please share so more people know this support is available.

Free, face-to-face support with trained Connectors. No appointment needed. A safe space to be heard. Opening soon.

13/03/2026

A great piece from ABC News highlighting the Australian Sliders, Australia’s national Powerchair Hockey team.

Powerchair hockey is a highly skilled and competitive sport played by athletes who use powerchairs, requiring precision, teamwork and strategy at the highest level. Despite the talent and commitment involved, it remains a sport that many people are still unaware of.

The Australian Sliders are currently preparing to represent Australia at the Powerchair Hockey World Championship in Finland, with their sights set on a podium finish.
Their dedication and professionalism are a powerful reminder that athletes with disability are competing at elite levels and deserve the same recognition and support as any other national sporting team.

Stories like this help challenge outdated perceptions of disability and highlight the importance of accessible and inclusive sporting pathways. Sport can play a critical role in building community, confidence and opportunity for people with disability.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-03-07/nsw-powerchair-hockey-australian-sliders-disability-competition/106294176

The Sliders are representing Australia on the world stage in just two months, but they're not as widely known as other national sports teams. This year, they hope to make a wave.

11/03/2026

Everyone deserves to feel safe, respected and supported.

Two helpful resources are the ‘My Wellbeing Checklist’ and ‘Common Signs of Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation’ fact sheets.

✔️ My Wellbeing Checklist supports people with disability to reflect on their wellbeing and speak up about the support they need.

⚠️ Common Signs of Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation highlights warning signs that something may not be right and helps people recognise when it may be time to seek help.

Accessible information empowers people with disability to understand their rights, build confidence, and stay safe.

10/03/2026

📢 Out of Office – Professional Development

For the next two days, most of our staff will be out of the office attending a vital professional development opportunity. Investing time in learning and growth is essential to strengthening the work we do and ensuring we continue to provide the best possible disability advocacy.

During this time, our responses may be delayed.
We appreciate your patience and will get back to messages as soon as possible.

09/03/2026

A new online exhibition featured in The Guardian showcases work by disabled, deaf and neurodivergent artists who challenge ongoing barriers and tokenistic inclusion in the arts sector. Hosted by Disability Arts Online, the dis_place gallery highlights the importance of authentic representation, accessibility and disabled-led creative spaces.

The project demonstrates how cultural institutions can move beyond symbolic inclusion toward meaningful structural change.

Though the art world is supposed to be inclusive, that isn’t the experience of many disabled creatives – and in a groundbreaking online exhibition at dis_place they have poured their frustrations into art

08/03/2026

Have you heard of the Be My Eyes app?

It’s a simple but powerful idea. The app connects people who are blind or have low vision with sighted volunteers through live video calls. If someone needs help reading a label, checking a product, or navigating something visual, a volunteer can assist through their phone’s camera.

It’s a great example of how technology can support accessibility, independence, and community connection.

You can sign up as a volunteer or as someone who would like assistance.
Sometimes a small moment of help can make a big difference. 💙

Learn more:

Experience the benefits of accessible technology with Be My Eyes. Connect with volunteers for real-time assistance via video.

07/03/2026

Today we recognise International Women’s Day 2026 and the vision of a world that is free from bias, stereotypes, and discrimination — a world that is diverse, equitable, and inclusive, where differences are valued and celebrated.

International Women’s Day has been observed for more than a century, reminding us that while progress has been made, many challenges affecting women’s rights remain.

Since 1911, IWD has belonged to everyone who believes in gender equality.

Today is a time to celebrate women’s achievements, raise awareness of discrimination, and take action to create lasting change. Every conversation, action, and show of support helps move us closer to gender parity.

At Illawarra Advocacy, today our focus is on the women we are so privileged to work alongside, within our own and partnering organisations, as well as the clients and their carers we advocate for.

On Friday our Manager, Alison Oyston, had the privilege of attending an International Women’s Day lunch in Wollongong, where Paralympian Jana Pittman was the keynote speaker.

Alison was grateful to be seated alongside two very inspiring women: Lily Piccolo, a vision-impaired para-athlete, and Rebecca O’Rourke, an inspirational woman navigating her disability while also undertaking a PhD focused on inclusive education.

There were many wonderful takeaways from Jana’s speech. She spoke about the incredible opportunities that can arise when we work through our fears and face challenges head-on — something our community understands deeply and continues to demonstrate every day.

06/03/2026

It’s wonderful to see the continued growth of Need A Feed Australia and the incredible work they do for our community.

Congratulations to Shaz Harrison and the team on launching the new mobile food truck “Shellie”.

A fantastic initiative that will help bring free meals directly to those who need them most across the Illawarra. 👏