Des Ryan
I am the current chairman of the QDN Board and was first elected to the Board of QDN in 2018. As well as QDN, I have been a board member of Spinal Life Australia’s since 1996, and President 1999 – 2007, resigning in January 2018 and led the transition from a community-based board to a mixed board with a diverse skill set from the business and corporate sector. I have a twenty-year history with not-for-profit boards in Central Queensland providing care services to people with disabilities or training.
My database development business Abled Disabled has been consulting throughout QLD since the early 1990s and in continuing employment for the same period with Community Solutions supporting people with disabilities and now as Community Relations Ambassador. I hold an Associate Diploma in both Information Technology and Community Services Work. I was a recipient of the Rotary Paul Harris Fellow in 2000 and 2012, a Companion of Central Queensland University and a recipient of the Order of Australia Medal in 2013 for service to people with disabilities.
Personal highlights occurred in
- 2001, supporting 23 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Legal Services across Queensland (every ATSICS Service in QLD) in the process of my part-time job.
- 2008, honoured with a local landmark named after me – the Des Ryan Pier at Rockhampton’s Riverbank.
What do I bring to the board?
My experience of 50 years with a disability surviving still working and enjoying life. I’ve luckily fitted within the constraints of the NDIS parameters so that I have a package of support.
I have been able to build on my own experience of work so that I self-manage my complete package.
Hopefully I can influence change driven by the members of this network so that we can influence the direction of the NDIS into the future. In my mind the highlight of my life as a person with a disability has been employment and volunteering. These are the two areas in my mind that put the cream on the cake. I would like to be able to maximise that opportunity for many others now and into the future.