Meet the Emerging Leaders - 2022
Group 1
Bithiah Alley
Rockhampton
"Disability leadership is about the disability community and the diversity of individuals within it. Disability leadership is about supporting each other, championing each other, and leading each other and the broader community to make positive and necessary changes in the world we live in."
Donna Barlow
Caboolture
"Helping others that need to be helped."
Liam Jack Barry
Murrumba Downs
"To me disability leadership means to be able to help change the NDIS and make the world better for everyone with disability and make them feel seen and to make sure we are not ignored."
Brian Birchall
Gympie
"For me, disability leadership means to be the voice for people who find it difficult or can’t speak out about their needs."
Con Corbane
Cairns
"To empower people to have a voice to determine their destiny after being fully informed through discovery and use correct method of communication to be influencers."
Beth Fulton
Kingaroy
"I want to make it so that people with disability are included and those with no disability see what we have to offer and not just exclude us because of our disability. Equal, it shouldn’t matter if you are disabled or not we should all be helping each other."
Erica Mellisa Golding
Rockhampton
"I rise for etiquette in leadership for working with people in a diverse needs environment."
Dale Gonelli
Deception Bay
"Disability leaderships to me means people taking control."
Patrick Heaton
Fraser Coast - Urangan
"It means I have the opportunity to network with peers to work towards a better quality of life for all people with disability."
Michelle Mullane
Newmarket
“To be proud and to speak for others who can’t.”
Hrusa Nour
Ormiston
"To be updated"
Joesphine Perrett
Enogerra
"To represent the views of people with disability."
Clarisse Pilbeam
Gold Coast
"Creating jobs and opportunities for people with disability that treat their lived experience as a valuable tool in the workplace to further expand the success of the individual and therefore contributing to the goal of inclusive workplaces for people with disability."
Catherine Pollaers
Albany Creek
"As a person with lived disability experience My goal is to provide a voice for those who need a voice."
Barbara Read
Urangan
“Disability leadership to me, means helping people living with disability lead their best life through connection and support.”
Andrew Simmons
Kingaroy
"Disability leadership means to me is sharing ideas and being heard and also having a voice."
Group 2
Alison Barber
Burpengary East
"To me advocacy is about standing up for the rights of total equality and inclusion for all, regardless of gender, race, disability or sexuality. With regard to disability advocacy, I believe it is equally important to stand for those with both visible and invisible disabilities so that they may both be held in unconditional high regard. "
Kamania Butler
South Brisbane
“It’s good to be part of the Emerging Leaders Program because it gives you a greater sense of community and you give back”
Andrea Carroll
Rochedale South
"Having a voice and being heard to be included in the wider community. Belonging to a group where we are peer mentors to one another and share knowledge and information with each other as a group".
Megan Collis
Basin Pocket
"Disability Leadership means standing on the shoulders of the giants that paved the way before me."
Kyal Currant
Southport
"To be updated."
Jason Driscoll
Pittsworth
"To be updated."
Lisa Forrest
Gold Coast
"To be updated."
Paul Justice
Kippa Ring
"Disability leadership is about the disability community and the diversity of individuals within it. Disability leadership is about supporting each other, championing each other, and leading each other and the broader community to make positive and necessary changes in the world we live in."
Angelica Keegan
Caboolture
"To me, Disability Leadership means being authentic and proactive in driving and supporting change for people with disability, with empathy and integrity so that inherent value is recognised and voices heard."
Matthew Knott
Bundaberg
"Active leadership in this sector seeks to assist those living with disability and people significant to them, in building capacity toward their highest good."
Josh Marshall
Rangeville
"To be updated."
Richard McCarthy
Toowoomba
"Disability leadership to me is doing things that will make changes that help others people with disability in some way."
Alison McLean
West End
"Leadership means a lot to me being a leader within the disability field."
Brianna
Queensland
"To be updated."
Maria Scharnke
Richlands
"Disabled leadership is being helped by and helping other disabled people. We forge our own access when it isn’t given to us, and everyone who makes those paths or guides other people to and along them are disabled leaders."
Allycia Staples
Graceville
"To be updated."
Nicole Thurtell
Gold Coast
"To be updated."

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Find out about the benefits of joining QDN. “QDN’s strength is the diversity of our members, our ability to engage with peers, our supporters, the community and governments’ to further the social and economic contribution of Queenslanders with disability.”