Centring and amplifying the voices of people with disability this IDPwD

International Day of People with Disability, recognised at the start of December each year, is a time to strengthen community awareness, understanding and acceptance of people with disability

The United Nations sets an annual theme to guide conversations about creating inclusive societies through the removal of physical, technological and attitudinal barriers for people with disability. This year, the theme is 'Fostering disability inclusive societies for advancing social progress'.

Image: Three people sitting around a conference table in an office. A woman in a wheelchair sits in the centre and smiles at the camera.

At Life Without Barriers, we believe that listening to and amplifying the voices of people with disability is essential to shaping a more inclusive society. The perspectives of people with disability must be at the centre of conversations about what inclusive communities should look like. Their insights and experiences are vital in guiding changes that are respectful, meaningful and aligned with the outcomes people with disability want for themselves.

"People with lived experience are the experts on themselves, so we need to ensure that their voice, whether that be verbal or otherwise, is the loudest, most heard voice in the room," said Mikaela Worth, Administration Officer and member of Life Without Barriers' Disability Accessibility Wellbeing Network (DAWN).

Too often, decisions are made that affect people with disability without consulting them. This can lead to policies, services and environments that don’t reflect what people actually need or value.

"When I am not actively involved in the decisions that impact me, then the solutions don't feel like solutions at all," said Mia Churchett, Child and Family Practitioner and DAWN member.

When the voices of people with disability are centred in the decision-making process, the solutions developed are more effective, more accessible and more likely to remove barriers rather than create new ones.

"Being involved in decision making is more than just a once-off conversation, it's about deeply listening to the people who are impacted by decision making and staying open, empathetic, and curious."

"It's about listening to what people don't need, as much as what they do, so you don't inadvertently create more barriers and challenges to their autonomy," said Mia.

Image: A woman with long blonde hair wearing a green shirt listening to another person.

Nothing about me, without me

Across all the services we deliver, we partner with the people we support, ensuring their voices, goals and preferences lead decisions about their care and shape how we work together. Whether it's at home, in the community or pursuing new opportunities, we're here to support your decisions, so you can live life the way you want to.

"True inclusion begins when we stop speaking for people with disability and start listening to them. When we walk alongside people, we create space for their choices, voices and identities to lead the way," said Vasileios Haldezos, Operations Manager Victorian Disability Accommodation Services.

"Our role is to remove barriers, not build them, and to ensure every person we support is empowered to live the life they choose."

Life Without Barriers recognises that people are the experts in their own lives. That’s why, together with people with disability, we co-designed a statement that outlines what rights mean to you and how Life Without Barriers must uphold them. Put simply, this reflects the principle of ‘nothing about me, without me’ for the people we support.

"The people we support deserve to have their voices included in decisions that shape their everyday lives and their own home," said Rainbow Yuen, Professional Learning Specialist.

Image: Four people gathered around a dining table, engaged in a discussion. One person is writing notes in a notebook.

Live the life you want

At the heart of our work is a person-centred approach, where the voices of the people we support lead the decisions that shape their lives.

"People with intellectual disabilities often don’t get to choose who they live with. Others decide based on funding or system rules," said Rainbow.

"We created a way to put people at the centre of their housemate search using a simple conversation card game, Happy Home."

Happy Home is a practical approach to enhancing choice, voice, and living arrangements for people with disability who chose our Supported Independent Living supports.

Co-designed with the people we support, Happy Home is a new way for our staff to empower the people we support when it comes to their own home. The game elevates their voices through play by adapting to individuals and their communication needs.

"Working alongside people to choose housemates is now a core part of how we work," said Rainbow.

Image: Renata Kincis and Rainbow Yuen presenting in front of a large group of people at the 2025 ASID Conference.

Relationships, Intimacy and Sexuality

At Life Without Barriers, everyone has the right to make choices about intimacy, relationships and sexual experiences. We recognise that relationships, intimacy and sexuality are not optional extras, but fundamental human rights. We encourage the people we support to have experiences and make connections that enrich their lives. This includes pursuing relationships and exploring intimacy and sexuality.

"Relationships, Intimacy and Sexuality are core to the human experience. They provide a sense of safety, belonging, and emotional connection essential for mental health well-being," said Jacqui Astolfi, Manager National Hubs and Projects, Centre for Practice Excellence, Disability and Mental Health.

"We want people to live their best, most fulfilled lives. Supporting people to connect and feel good is a no brainer."

Image: Joey and Daniel smiling and holding their hands together in the shape of a heart.

It’s our job to empower the people we support to have positive intimate relationships, based on consent, respect and safety. To support this, we launched the Relationships, Intimacy and Sexuality Project, co-designed with people we support, backed by lived experience sessions, expert voices and creative storytelling through whiteboard videos, each one helping our workforce build empathy, understanding and respect.

"The people we support want support and assistance, as required and without judgement, so they can enjoy the same experiences as everyone else," said Jacqui.

"We're committed to providing all support actively, which requires staff to look for and use the potential in every moment. We ask staff to take the time to start conversations with the people they support about relationships."

"It can be as simple as asking everyday questions like ‘is there anyone you’d like to spend time with today’ to check in and create opportunities to talk."

Image: Jacqui Astolfi, Daniel and Vasileios Haldezos presenting at the ASID conference. Behind them is a PowerPoint presentation slide 'Relationships, Intimacy and Sexuality', and a Life Without Barriers Disability Services banner to the left.

The impact of this work is best reflected in the voices of people we support, like Daniel, who recently shared his journey to greater social connection and meaningful relationships at the ASID Conference.

"I wanted to make new friends, and I wanted a girlfriend. I met Sophie, she’s funny, kind, and makes me happy," shared Daniel.

"Staff didn’t take over or make it awkward. They let me take the lead. I plan my own catch-ups, make the calls, book the venues, and I’m the one making it happen.

"I am so lucky to have staff who respect and support me with what I want."

Learn more about how Daniel manages his relationships independently here.