Inclusion (Disability) Advisory Panel

Charles has extensive public sector experience across architecture and the built environment, having worked on the design of educational and transport projects for adults and children with disability.

As a mentor for university students, Charles is a fierce advocate for young people with disability, especially those who struggle with mental health issues. His broad experience in disability extends to the use of innovative technologies, including virtual reality and augmented reality, to provide people with disability immersive experiences that would otherwise be physically impossible.

Charles was diagnosed with paroxysmal kinisegenic choreoathetosis aged 15. He has lived experience with disability and dealt with anxiety from high school to university, kickstarting his passion in guiding the younger generations to overcome disabilities.

He has a Masters degree in Property Development and a Bachelors degree in Architecture from the University of NSW. He was also the recipient of the Dean’s Scholars Award and several academic scholarships.

Daniel is a LGBTIQA+ Aboriginal man living with a hearing impairment and an upcoming emerging visual artist. He has been developing his skills over the last 15 years. Daniel learnt from his grandmother and Aunty Mumma Shirl, who taught him to represent Aboriginal art through dot paintings, which is widely known and recognized throughout Australia by Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people. His artwork keeps redeveloping its style year by year and he is very proud that he has been given the knowledge from his Elders.

Producing his first Deadly Hand Talk exhibition during NAIDOC Week 2022, Daniel decided to finally debut and introduce himself to the world as an artist. He plans to continue to show his evolving style of works and to continue his contribution as a person with disability in the arts and cultural sector.

Daniels’s art can’t be separated from his activism, and he identifies as part of the Gadigal Advocate Mob. The most important thing for Daniel is to tell stories about bullies, racism, discrimination, barriers and arts, and to show the truth of who he is, so everyone can see who he is and where he is from.

Giancarlo (they/he) is an intersectional leader with disability, who identifies as LGBTIQA+, queer, non-binary and a person of colour. They currently lead policy and advocacy at People with Disability Australia, the NSW and national peak disability body. Giancarlo was named as one of the 40 Under 40 Most Influential Asian-Australians of 2021 and one of Pro Bono Australia’s Impact 25, a list recognising the social sector’s most influential people in 2022 for their significant and positive impact.

A trained lawyer, they hold a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws from the University of NSW. They are also the president of the Australian GLBTI Multicultural Council, inaugural secretary of the Disabled Australian Lawyers Association and treasurer of the Australian Centre for Disability Law.

Giancarlo is a City of Sydney resident and sits on numerous government advisory committees, panels and working groups. They are passionate about psychosocial disability, housing and employment.

Mathew’s experiences of living with disability and being LGBTIQA+ have given him an invaluable understanding of the power of community and the value diversity, belonging, fairness and equity adds to and strengthens society, our communities and workplaces. A workplace, community and society that reflects, gives voice to, listens to and respects every person is more inclusive, stronger, more resilient and has a deeper, more respected sense of purpose.

With extensive experience in the for-purpose sector and the arts, Mathew helped establish the Namatjira Legacy Trust and negotiate the successful transfer of copyright to it for the benefit of the community, many of whom live with disability.

Mathew is passionate about access to real money and real jobs for artists with disability who still experience greater unemployment and lower incomes than artists without disability. Mathew is the CEO of About Arts Access Australia, the national peak body for arts and disability in Australia. The organisation works to increase national and international opportunities and access to the arts for people with disability as artists, arts workers, participants and audiences.

Max is passionate about inclusive and accessible recreation and leisure opportunities for people with mobility impairment.

A focus on recreation and leisure encouraged him to establish an online application aimed at creating better access to leisure activities for people with mobility needs, their friends and family, enabling all to enjoy leisure activities together.

Max brings to the panel his professional experience from many years in marketing and advertising as well as his lived experience as a person with disability, after a head injury from a car crash left him paralysed, partially sighted, partially deaf, and with a speech impairment.

Max brings to the panel his professional experience from many years in marketing and advertising as well as his lived experience as a person with disability, after a head injury from a car crash left him paralysed, partially sighted, partially deaf, and with a speech impairment.

 

Mim is a resident of the City of Sydney and is committed to improving inclusion and accessibility. She has been employed in the disability sector most of her working life and is passionate about the inclusion of people with disability, particularly people who are subject to stigma and prejudice.

Untreated mental illness and undiagnosed cognitive disabilities leave people without the necessary support to live a good life. Access to services requires knowledge, skills and tools that some people with cognitive and psychosocial disabilities do not have. Some people in these circumstances have some disability related behaviours that others find challenging. They are excluded from services, shopping centres and other amenities and are even more marginalised.

Mim has a long history of depression, starting from her childhood/teen years. She is now able to live well with her mental illness by treatment from counsellors and psychiatrists, medication, some physical exercise, singing in a choir and maintaining strong social networks.

She loves contributing to the local area as a member of the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Choir. The choir represents ‘Harmony in Diversity’ with inclusion as a fundamental principle.

Nanushka (they/them) is a lived experience advocate and passionate about making the City of Sydney more inclusive for individuals with multiple intersectional identities and invisible disabilities.

Moving to Australia in 2016 as an international student, they add a culturally and linguistically diverse and migrant voice to the committee.

Nanushka is active on the Touching Base Board as secretary as well as the Co-production Disability and Sexual Violence Panel at the Education Centre Against Violence. They are passionate about ending sexual, domestic and family violence, working with victim-survivors from Fullstop.

They are also passionate about removing access barriers for migrant and disabled sex workers and people who exchange sexual favours for food, shelter or substances.

Nidhi lives with mild cerebral palsy and a vision impairment. She is the current chair of this Advisory Panel.

Born in India and moving to New Zealand with her family as a child, she moved to Australia in her teenage years. Nidhi’s experience of growing up as a person with disability from a diverse cultural background has driven her to become an advocate, in particular for people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.

Nidhi currently is a member of the co-production expert panel for the NSW Health Education Centre Against Violence. She helps develop resources for the prevention and responses to sexual violence for people with disability. Nidhi’s work forms a part of the co-design mechanisms for the NSW Health Sexual Assault and New Street Disability Access Strategy. She also works with Family Planning NSW on the Planet Puberty Project and has worked with the Multicultural Disability Advocacy Association previously.

She believes social inclusion gives a person with disability a stronger sense of community and support networks that help them feel less isolated. Nidhi explores issues around supporting people with disability in the workplace, accessing public transport and making social connections through her blogs.

Paul specialises in embedding accessibility and inclusion considerations across building infrastructure, place and events that go beyond current compliance standards.

His consultation work includes making the Sydney Harbour Bridge wheelchair accessible, accessibility upgrades to the Australian Museum and as accessibility lead for the Sydney Invictus Games. Paul adopts the key principles that underscore universal design, design for dignity and the social model of disability to benchmark best practice.

Sabrina is the current co-chair of this Advisory Panel, and the founder and CEO of a recruitment agency. Sabrina is also a current member of the Australian Museum's Access & Inclusion Advisory Panel, and launched diversity and inclusion strategies at other organisations.

Diagnosed with a severe hearing impairment at the age of 27 and type 2 bipolar disorder at the age of 30, she describes herself as a person with a disability, a woman, and was born in Australia, with a dual Lebanese and Indian ethnic background.

Sabrina is also a member of Mensa and a published author, having contributed to the Allen & Unwin anthology, Coming of Age: Growing Up Muslim in Australia. She held the title of Miss World Australia in 2006, placed third at Miss World and also competed on the first Australian season of The Apprentice, using these opportunities to contribute to public discussions around diversity and inclusion in Australia.

Stephen is a peer manager with over 7 years experience in the public health and community organisation sectors working in strategic roles at a district and local level as well as individual and group mental health care.

He is an advocate for people with psychosocial disabilities, a public speaker and educator specialising in mental health issues, trauma informed care, suicide awareness and the National Disability Insurance Scheme. Stephen identifies as an individual living with mental concerns – hence the peer (lived experience of mental health issues) in the job description!

Stephen also identifies as someone with a diagnosis of bipolar disorder, who has an inspiring story of recovery over the last 10 years. He identifies himself as a person with a disability, a culturally and linguistically diverse man and was born in Australia of Ghanian descent. He is an advocate for people with psychosocial disabilities, research writer and educator specialising in mental health issues.

In a previous life, Stephen was a civil engineer, IT specialist and commerce graduate. Fun fact: with a father who worked in the UN, Stephen lived on 4 continents and visited over 20 countries. Stephen is passionate about diversity and inclusion of all people in Australia.

Tara is the current President for the NSW Down Syndrome Panel and also works for the NSW Ombudsman. Tara is a confident, outgoing individual who “likes to be with everyone else”.

As a person with Down Syndrome, Tara is an advocate for the inclusion of people with disability, particularly those with intellectual disabilities, which are often invisible to the community.

Being a member on the City’s Inclusion (Disability) Advisory Panel gives Tara the opportunity to be heard and express her opinion on how we can achieve a truly inclusive city.