When you bring together creativity, technology, and a group of people determined to build new futures, pretty special things can happen.
Image: From top left, Life Without Barriers team members Robin Ma, Jennier Sinclair and Dounia Sadeq, along with Apple Foundation Program Director, Dr Baki Kocaballi and representatives from Apple & Asylum Seekers Centre.
Life Without Barriers is fortunate enough to witness special moments like this in real time.
Guided by the belief that people, no matter their background, deserve the opportunity to thrive and contribute, our National Immigration Support team recently partnered with the Apple Foundation Program at the University of Technology Sydney, helping to support a dedicated cohort of people from refugee and asylum seeker backgrounds.
At the program’s graduation showcase, our team celebrated the participants as they showcased the apps they had designed over the intensive three-week challenge. What they witnessed was nothing short of inspiring.
Image: A group of four participants showcasing their app designs, their backs are to the camera.
The Apple Foundation Program at UTS is a challenge-based learning experience where participants work daily on coding, design thinking, problem-solving and collaboration, using Apple’s iOS ecosystem and the Swift programming language.
Focused specifically on those without prior coding experience, the focus is on building highly transferable skills at the intersection of technology, creativity, and entrepreneurship.
When a potential partnership was proposed to support people from a refugee and asylum seeker background, there was no question about throwing Life Without Barriers’ support behind it.
Because for this cohort, skills like these represent far more than a certificate of completion. They represent tangible pathways for people to thrive in a rapidly changing world.
"At UTS, we’ve created a dedicated Apple Foundation Program cohort for refugees and asylum seekers to actively support inclusion and equity by providing opportunities to groups who face various barriers." Program Director Dr Baki Kocaballi shared.
"Equipping this cohort with design and technology skills can be transformative, offering practical pathways toward employment, self-expression, and community integration."
Image: A photo of a presentation showing faces in circles.
Across the showcase, participants demonstrated app solutions to real-world problems. From a platform that aided learning a language by connecting with others across the world, to an app reducing loneliness by building meaningful connections in their local communities, the solutions were built from the ground up and underpinned by humanity.
But beyond the technical outcomes, what stood out was the journey they had clearly taken together: navigating teamwork, learning entirely new skillsets, overcoming challenges, and discovering confidence in their own ideas and abilities.
In fact, there was a palpable sense of pride in the room, and more than a few smiles.
For Panos Massouris, Director of the National Immigration Support Service, supporting programs like this aligns deeply with Life Without Barriers’ ethos.
"Every day, we work alongside people seeking asylum who are rebuilding their lives in Australia," Panos said.
"We understand that meaningful inclusion isn’t just about meeting immediate needs, it’s about creating pathways to opportunity, connection, and self-determination."
For Life Without Barriers, supporting programs like this aligns deeply with our ethos. Every day, we work alongside people seeking asylum who are rebuilding their lives in Australia. We understand that meaningful inclusion isn’t just about meeting immediate needs, it’s about creating pathways to opportunity, connection, and self-determination.
Programs like the Apple Foundation Program do exactly that. They equip people with future-fit skills, foster creativity and confidence, and create a space where participants can see themselves not just as learners, but as innovators and problem-solvers.
It was these sentiments that Jennifer Sinclair, National Programs Performance Manager for the National Immigration Support Service, spoke about at the showcase event. "It was really special to attend the showcase and see with our own eyes the strong alignment between the program and Life Without Barriers’ mission to support people as they build new lives in Australia," Jennifer said.
Image: Eight people standing infront of a large screen showing a road, budlings and trees.
Being present at the graduation was a powerful reminder of why partnerships like this matter. When universities, community organisations, and service providers come together with a shared purpose, the impact can be profound.
As the world of work continues to evolve, access to digital literacy, design thinking, and technological skills is becoming increasingly important. Ensuring that people from refugee and asylum seeker backgrounds are included in these opportunities is not just equitable, it’s essential.
Life Without Barriers is proud to have supported this cohort and looks forward to seeing where their skills and ideas take them next.
