Inclusion Matters Forums – Putting inclusion into action

QDN’s Inclusion Matters Forum explore how inclusive communities are built, lived, and strengthened—by everyone. Hosted by local QDN Peer Leaders, the forums showcase what real inclusion looks like across the seven outcome areas of Australia’s Disability Strategy. People with disability, families, allies and organisations have shared ideas, solutions and practical actions for building stronger, more inclusive communities together.

Past Inclusion Matters Forums:

Online #1
Gladstone
Brisbane
Mount Isa
Online #2

Fiona Caniglia - CEO QShelter
Fiona Caniglia started as Q Shelter’s Executive Director in 2018, although her connection with the peak body dates back to the 1990s, when she was involved in various committees and working groups striving for housing and homelessness solutions.
She is a passionate advocate for the housing and homelessness sector, and has held leadership roles in industry peak bodies and in grassroots community development. She has qualifications in both social work and social planning, and has extensive experience across government, community services, and private industry.
In 2024, Fiona was selected for the Social Impact Leadership Australia Program Cohort for 2024-2025. Fiona shares Q Shelter’s vision of a home for every Queenslander.

Bec Hogan - Emergency Broadcast Coordinator in the ABC Emergency team
Bec Hogan is an Emergency Broadcast Coordinator in the ABC Emergency team. She helps with digital emergency coverage during major events like bushfires and floods, working closely with local teams to share timely and accurate information. Bec is also co-chair of ABC Inclusive, the ABC’s employee network for people with disability. She has led projects to improve accessibility across ABC platforms, including a full content audit and training on alternative text for social media.

Jess Wilson - CEO, Good Things Australia
Jess Wilson, CEO at Good Things Australia, leads a thriving national digital inclusion network of over 4000 community organisations. With 25+ years experience in the social purpose sector, Jess has made significant contributions across child and family and digital inclusion areas. She has BA, BScWk (Hons), and Grad Dip Education. Jess is actively involved in connecting with local, national, and international stakeholders emphasising the importance of community-based support to close the digital divide and create kinder, more connected communities. Outside of work you will likely find Jess in the garden growing tomatoes or bush walking in the beautiful Blue Mountains where she lives.

Karin Swift (she/her) - President, Women With Disabilities Australia
Karin Swift has worked since the mid-1990s in disability, housing, advocacy and social policy, championing the voices and rights of people with disability. She is currently an independent consultant and serves as Chair of Queensland’s Expert Disability Housing Advisory Panel, President of Women With Disabilities Australia (WWDA), a Board Member of the Community Resource Unit (CRU). Karin was a past member of the National Disability Data Asset (NDDA) Scoping Panel. Karin has led housing projects with QDN, co-designed Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) and previously coordinated the Queensland Disability Housing Coalition. She is also an Industry Fellow at the Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University. Her international work includes advising the Australian Government and WWDA at the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW 57), keynote speaking, and leading training with the Australian Human Rights Commission.

Paige Armstrong
Paige Armstrong has extensive experience across the housing, health and disability sectors having worked at a senior level across a range of government and community organisations over the past 20 plus years.
Paige held Chief Executive Officer positions with Queenslanders with Disability Network and Health Consumers Queensland (QLD peak health consumer body) where she led the development and implementation of significant housing and disability reform initiatives in a transformative, legislative and policy environment, with the introduction of the National Disability Insurance Scheme and other state and national reforms.
Paige is a strong advocate with a commitment to people with disability driving change and influencing public policy and the planning, design, delivery and evaluation of services that impact their lives.
She also has lived experience of disability through family members which has influenced and informed her work around inclusion.
Paige is a passionate believer in inclusion and sees secure, accessible and affordable housing as a key enabler to the full community inclusion and participation of people with disability.

Chris Ruyg
Over the past 10 years, Chris has worked predominantly in the social services sector across the Gulf of Carpentaria and Cape York communities. His career began as a Healthy 4 Life Coordinator, promoting social and emotional wellbeing through the local clinic. In this role he helped establish Men’s Groups and organised community events for First Nations peoples. He then joined the Normanton Recovery and Community Wellbeing Service, where he supported individuals and families from communities including Normanton, Kowanyama, Wujal Wujal, Mossman, Pormpuraaw and Mareeba.

For the last five years, Chris has worked with Save the Children/54 Reasons, where he has led programs addressing domestic and family violence as Team Leader of the Men’s Behavioural Change Program, and more recently as Local Level Alliance Coordinator and Senior Practitioner for the Birlinka Youth Program. Through these roles, he has built trusted relationships with First Nations people from diverse communities, while successfully collaborating with services to strengthen outcomes across the social services sector.

Chris holds a Certificate IV in Mental Health and is a qualified Deadly Thinking Facilitator. He has undertaken a range of cultural and professional training including Dadirri, Blurred Borders, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Mental Health First Aid. His thematic expertise spans alcohol and other drugs, mental health and wellbeing, justice, family support, healing and employment—making him a well-rounded leader in the field.

Since the establishment of the Mount Isa Regional Jobs Committee (RJC) in 2024, Chris has been a foundational and active member. As Chair, he has played a pivotal leadership role in guiding the Committee’s early development into a trusted, strategic and community-led regional body. Under his leadership, the RJC has strengthened stakeholder engagement, built local confidence in the Committee’s role, and laid the foundations for long-term impact.

Chris is widely respected for his professionalism, ethical standards and integrity. He embodies the values of the RJC— inclusiveness, responsiveness, connectedness and impact-focused leadership. His ability to convene diverse voices and foster genuine collaboration has positioned the RJC as a credible platform for mobilising partnerships, addressing regional workforce challenges and delivering place-based solutions that improve social and economic outcomes for the region.

As Chair, Chris continues to provide continuity, trusted leadership and strategic momentum to the RJC, ensuring its work remains grounded in community needs while aligned with broader regional development priorities.

Selena Phillips

I have a background in Early years and school aged education and care. A large part of my role and passion within the education space was working within the community to create safe spaces for all, sparking my interest in learning more about how we as a community can support people living with disabilities. I am the Project Lead for Carers Queensland's Be Your Own Boss program for Rockhampton and Gladstone, a free program for people who live with disability to explore starting their own microbusinesses.

Fabian Webber

Fabian is the Homelessness Coordinator at Roseberry Qld, a leading youth and family support organisation based in Central Queensland. They have been actively involved in the development and coordination of the CQ Zero Project, working alongside local services, councils, and state government agencies to address homelessness across Rockhampton, Gladstone, and surrounding communities. Fabian also chairs the Central Queensland Housing and Homelessness Alliance. With a deep understanding of place-based collaboration and systems change, Fabian brings a passionate and practical voice to the issue.

Tara Manning

Tara is a solicitor and seasoned public policy advisor with a foundation in governance, legal counsel, and community engagement. Born and raised in Gladstone,  Tara’s commitment to public service is rooted in values of hard work and humility. She has held key roles across government, including ministerial advisory positions and legal counsel in child protection. Tara brings both professional and lived experience to her work, advocating for policies that support families and promote social justice. Her career spans strategic policy development, stakeholder engagement, and legal advocacy, with a focus on integrity and positive change. As a working mother of three, she understands the real-world impact of government decisions and is passionate about building a fairer and kinder community. Tara is dedicated to advancing equity, opportunity, and good governance across all communities.

Justin Ballard

Justin Ballard (he/him) is a Senior Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Advisor at the Central Queensland Hospital and Health Service (CQHHS), with over a decade of experience in healthcare, quality improvement, and inclusive workforce strategies. As Chair of the CQHHS Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Sub-Committee, he leads initiatives to embed inclusive practices across the health service, with a strong focus on improving outcomes for people with disability. Justin holds a Graduate Certificate in Health Service Management (Quality & Safety) and is pursuing a Masters degree in the field. He is also an active member of several diversity and inclusion networks and is committed to creating accessible, respectful, and equitable healthcare services and workplaces for all.

Darren Jeacocke,

Darren is the Director of Queensland Aerial. He owns and operates professional drones. Darren's company are the experts in remote industrial inspection, high resolution 3D mapping, and beautiful video production. Darren is passionate about anything technology, and he especially loves programming. Being quadriplegic, he needed to solve a lot of problems for day-to-day living, so he has automated his home; lights, air conditioner, doors, TV. Everything is voice controlled and automated.

Jaclyn Iwasaka

As the Community Development Specialist at Gladstone Regional Council, Jaclyn plays an integral role in shaping initiatives that support community inclusion and wellbeing. She was a key member of the project team that developed Gladstone Regional Council’s first Access and Inclusion Action Plan and now leads its ongoing implementation and monitoring. She is committed to fostering meaningful partnerships and driving initiatives that are informed by community and aligned with long-term regional goals. She is an ally, a storyteller, and an advocate.

Elise Ganley

Elise moved to Gladstone, Queensland in October 2022 to work with locals to build a community voice in the energy transition with Qld Community Alliance. Elise has worked as an organiser for the QLD Community Alliance in Brisbane, working with unions, community centres and faith groups to win a new Queensland government approach to social isolation, based on a social prescribing network developed by leaders in Mt Gravatt, Brisbane. Elise has also worked with leaders to win community centre funding, worker rights and climate action. Elise was also part of the founding group for the national climate solutions coalition called "Renew Australia for All" which last election won a 2.3 billion dollar investment in cheaper batteries for our homes.

Karin Swift

Karin Swift (she/her) has worked since the mid-1990s in disability, housing, advocacy and social policy, championing the voices and rights of people with disability. She is currently an independent consultant and serves as Chair of Queensland’s Expert Disability Housing Advisory Panel, President of Women With Disabilities Australia (WWDA), a Board Member of the Community Resource Unit (CRU). Karin has led housing projects with QDN, co-designed Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) and previously coordinated the Queensland Disability Housing Coalition.

Neal Lakshman

Neal is the senior advocate at Speaking Up For You (SUFY). SUFY is an independent individual social advocacy organisation for people with a disability in the Brisbane and Moreton Bay Regions that have a fundamental need that is unmet. SUFY is funded by the Commonwealth and State Governments. SUFY’s advocacy is informed by The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the principles of social advocacy. SUFY defends and promotes the human rights of vulnerable people with disability through advocacy to address injustices and make a positive difference to their lives.

Sara Shams

Sara is a pharmacist, speaker, model, and award-winning advocate for disability rights, diversity, and inclusion. As a double above-knee amputee and a proud woman of colour, she is dedicated to reshaping narratives around disability, gender, and cultural identity while driving systemic change. With expertise in healthcare, policy, and governance, Sara influences inclusive leadership, policymaking and equitable representation for culturally and linguistically diverse communities with disabilities across multiple platforms. She serves on the boards of Carers Queensland and Limbs 4 Life and has been a peer support mentor for over a decade. Sara is the Deputy Chair of Queensland’s Expert Disability Housing Advisory Panel.

Alex Bubke

For the past 6 years, Alex has worked in the Accessible Transport Network program, supporting the Department of Transport and Main Roads to become a leader in providing dignified, accessible, and inclusive transport products, services, information, and infrastructure. Alex provides strategic and technical advice to the department’s diverse infrastructure projects, championing both universal design and co-design to deliver accessible and inclusive transport solutions for the community.

Stephanie Dower

Stephanie Dower is a Screen Producer, Writer, and Access Coordinator. In 2023, Stephanie produced the AACTA-nominated short film And The Ocean Agreed alongside Luisa Martiri and Writer/Director Tanya Modini. Prior to that, Stephanie produced and edited the short film Sunshine, a Bus Stop Films and Taste Creative project funded through Screen Queensland’s RIDE Shorts program. In 2024, Stephanie also served as Access Coordinator for feature films Spit and Amazon Studios’ The Bluff, both releasing in 2025. As founder and director of production company Dower Productions, a recipient of Screen Queensland’s Business Enterprise Fund, Stephanie is developing a slate of exciting and bold that aims to authentically portray under-represented communities. A strong advocate for disability inclusion on and off the screen, Stephanie served as an inaugural member of Screen Queensland’s Equity and Diversity Taskforce, and has served as an appointed advisor to the Screen Producers’ Australia Council. Stephanie also works as a QDeNgage consultant, co-hosts Attitude Foundation’s ReFramed series, and is a regular speaker at screen industry events.

Geoff Trappett OAM

Geoff is a former Paralympic Athlete. Following on from sport Geoff has transitioned to working professionally in multiple senior executive roles within the disability sector spanning both human service providers and disabled person run advocacy organisations and now within a major Australian retailer. After 10 years senior management experience in the human services environment and serving as a board member of Australian Federation of Disability Organisations and Physical Disability Australia he now devotes his passion and expertise to his social policy change venture Inclusion Moves, speaking out on human rights and disability inclusion related issues.

Inclusion Matters Forums – Putting inclusion into action

Past Forums

Online #2 (Inclusive Homes and Communities)

Mount Isa

Gladstone

Selena Phillips

Fabian Webber

Tara Manning

Justin Ballard

Jaclyn Iwasaka

Elise Ganley

Brisbane

Karin Swift

Alex Bubke

Online #1

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