Find a Speaker for International Day of People with Disability
Contents:
Celebrate and help build a diverse and inclusive community in Australia by taking part in this year’s International Day of People with Disability (IDPwD) on December 3. This annually observed, international celebration by the United Nations aims to increase public awareness, understanding and acceptance of people with disabilities and celebrate their achievements and contributions.
IDPwD is an opportunity for us to make positive changes to the lives of the 4.4 million Australians with disability. As an individual, school, community group, business or organisation, there are many ways you can get involved and promote inclusion in your community.
This includes attending and hosting events and seminars where you can hear informative, insightful and inspiring stories from people with lived experience of disability. Here, we wanted to introduce some of the inspiring exclusive speakers with disabilities you can book through ICMI for your IDPwD event.
Dr Dinesh Palipana OAM
Award-winning doctor, disability advocate, researcher, university lecturer, lawyer and co-founder of Doctors with Disability Australia, Dr Dinesh Palipana OAM is a truly inspirational figure. Following a motor vehicle accident halfway through medical school that has left him quadriplegic, what he has achieved against insurmountable odds is jaw-dropping.
Dinesh is a passionate advocate for inclusion, with an endless wealth of knowledge and insights from his scientific research into spinal cord injuries to the lessons he shares on resilience, wellness, perseverance and persistence through hardship. As a diversity and inclusion speaker, he captivates audiences with deeply moving lessons in what humans can achieve shared with his seemingly boundless sense of positivity and wisdom.
View Dr Dinesh Palipana OAM Profile
Alexandra Hudson
As a comedian and disability advocate, Alexandra Hudson entertains and enlightens in equal parts with thought-provoking insights and relatable stories that build new perspectives on the diversity of human experience. Alexandra’s comedic musings focus on unveiling the quirks of a non-disabled world that are mostly foreign to her, leaving you with new perspectives by flipping societal norms in her story-telling.
Rhiannon Tracey
As an able-bodied person for 21 years of her life, 32 year old Rhiannon Tracey understands the perspective of those with and without disability. This empowers her to offer unique, insightful perspectives as a motivational speaker and disability and inclusion advocate. In 2009, a spinal cord injury after a diving accident changed Rhiannon’s world instantly with a diagnosis as a C-5 quadriplegic. Rhiannon has since founded The Next Step, a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to providing the best recovery, and rehabilitation options in Australia.
We’re proud to have a number of other exciting speakers on our roster that are ideal for your IDPwD event, including:
- Dylan Alcott AO
- Kurt Fearnely AO
- Elly Desmarchelier
- Wayne Herbert
- Katrina Webb OAM
- Alison Venter
- Tilly Lockey (UK)
- Amy Purdy (USA)