To unify, support and champion a thriving disability ecosystem
Summits
A feature of DAWA is a program of summits tackling topics of scale and concern for people with disability.
Each summit is invitation-only to ensure a cross section of people with disability, families, carers, peak bodies, advocates, service providers, experts and government representatives. Attendees contribute their experience, understanding, expertise and research to the key issues and topics under discussion.
Throughout the full-day summit, attendees will hear from experts on the topic, have an opportunity to ask questions and then participate in a DAWA Pod (focus group) to explore the topic in detail. Findings, preferences and recommendations will be collated, and a report will be presented to government representatives and other influencing bodies that are empowered with making change for good.
Nominate a Summit Topic
Do you have a topic that is of strategic and state-wide importance to the disability ecosystem that you would like to nominate for discussion at a summit?
2025
Disability Employment Pathways, Creating more certain Bridges and Pathways
Date: 31 March 2025 at 9:00am to 3:00pm
Venue: TSH, 36 Dodd St, Wembley WA 6014 (formerly Telethon Speech & Hearing Institute)
The 2025 DAWA Summit program is set to address a critical issue in Western Australia: creating more certain bridges and pathways for the employment of people living with a disability, particularly those with intellectual disability. The comprehensive 2025 program is planned to be held in 3 parts in collaboration with an Event hosted by Inclusion Solutions and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI) and recognising the spirit of the State Disability Strategy and State Workforce Strategy to deliver equal opportunity and continuous progress.
Together we aim to explore what is possible, identify existing gaps and challenges, and propose solutions to ensure a more inclusive and supportive employment landscape. It builds on our inaugural DAWA Employment Summit in 2022
To register your attendance, please click here
To view a summary of our previous employment summit click here
To download the program, please click here.
Program
| Acknowledgement of Country | Bruce Langoulant, DAWA Board Director |
| Speaker | Lena Constantine, Associate Director, Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI WA) |
| Speaker | Mike Rowe, Director General, Department of Communities |
| Speaker | Alex Buckley, Branch Manager, Disability Employment Policy Branch , Department of Social Services |
| How the PODs will work | Tom Tolchard, Consultant |
| POD Group #1 |
Reflecting on your own experience and knowledge, are the featured items in the Summary of Overarching Messages from 2022 still valid?
|
| POD Group #2 |
What is required to make enduring progress and more jobs for people with a disability, including school leavers and people with more complex needs, a reality in today’s more conscious world?
|
| POD Group #3 |
How do we ensure the aspirational endeavours of the State, Commonwealth and Industry combine for measurable gains in jobs and job satisfaction?
|
| Focus Group Recap | All attendees |
| Conclusion | Bruce Langoulant, DAWA Board Director |
2024
Living with Intellectual Disability: Challenging the Gaps
Full Report – PDF | Full Report – Word Doc | Easy Read – PDF | Easy Read – Word Doc
Date: 22 March 2024 at 9:00am to 3:00pm
Venue: TSH, 36 Dodd St, Wembley WA 6014 (formerly Telethon Speech & Hearing Institute)
Program
| Welcome to Country | Sarah Love, CEO, DAWA |
| Spirit of DAWA | Bruce Langoulant, Chair, DAWA |
| Setting the scene | Speaker – Leticia Grant |
| How the PODs will work | Tom Tolchard, Consultant |
| Focus Group #1 | Thriving in Life: What are my biggest concerns that I want to talk about today ? What is working well in my life that I don’t want to lose? |
| Focus Group #2 | Thriving at Home: Where do I live and who do I live with today and in the future? |
| Focus Group #3 | Thriving Relationships: What do I do all day and who do i do it with? |
| Focus Group Recap | Tom Tolchard |
| Conclusion | Sarah Love, CEO, DAWA |
Living with Significant Intellectual Disability. Challenging the Gaps ‘What We Heard…’ Report
Full Report – PDF | Full Report – Word Doc
Date: 22 August 2024 at 9:00am to 3:00pm
Venue: TSH, 36 Dodd St, Wembley WA 6014 (formerly Telethon Speech & Hearing Institute)
This event will further discuss the report’s content, recommendations, and opportunities for advocacy. We will be joined by family members, people with disability and representatives from the WA disability industry and various levels of government, including the Hon Minister for Disability, Don Punch.
It’s challenging for those outside the experience to envision what ‘good’ looks like. With conflicting information, it’s crucial to amplify the collective voice of disability to define and design real, sustained changes in our community. We all aim to feel alive, vibrant, included, valued, and to live a thriving life. While our end goal is universal, the journey there is unique for each of us.
Program
| Acknowledgement & Introduction | Tim McMillan, Media Presenter & MC |
| Welcome | Sarah Love, CEO DAWA |
| Opening Address | Hon. Don Punch MLA, Minister for Disability Services |
| People with Lived Experience | Leticia Grant |
| State & Sector panel | Representatives from the sector with state-wide influence / experience / responsibility, MC Tim McMillan, Media Presenter ● Hon. Don Punch MLA – Minister for Disability Services, WA State Government ● Mary Butterworth, Developmental Disability WA – Advocacy ● Fiona Allen, City of Mandurah – Local Government ● Kathy Hough, Far North community Services – Regional Service Provider |
| What now? | Based on the report and today, “What have you heard that……?” ● Ed Croft – Regional parent ● Amy Clark – Sibling ● Simone Flavelle – Perth Metro Parent ● Frances Buchanan – State Manager WA, NDS (Peak body) ● Tim McMillan – Parent & MC |
| Conclusion | The Next Steps | Sarah Love, CEO DAWA |
2023
Living a good life in my Local Community
Full Report – PDF | Full Report – Word Doc | Easy Read – PDF | Easy Read – Word Doc
Date: 12 May 2023 at 9:00am to 3:15pm
Venue: TSH, 36 Dodd St, Wembley WA 6014 (formerly Telethon Speech & Hearing Institute)
We are seeking solutions to the gap that still exists between the nature of expectations versus reality for many people with disability across our local communities. The WA Local Government Association (WALGA) is an important and influential stakeholder in this vision, with a shared objective to make positive and lasting changes for people with disability across WA through and with its members, which include every Local Government in WA. DAWA has therefore approached WALGA to participate in a ‘Summit’ with DAWA members and other significant stakeholders on Friday 12th May 2023.
This Summit is about ‘Living a good life in my local community’ and DAWA is keen to start a new and enduring collaboration with Local Governments and other community to help shape a better future and a better life for people with disability and their carers. WALGA recognises the work and creativity of its Local Governments across WA – large and small – in supporting people with a disability across all aspects of community life. WALGA also promotes the need to work closely with disability focused groups like DAWA and its Collective Voice approach to improve services and options for its local citizens living with disability and disadvantage and is keen to champion disability access achievements through its showcase event – the Most Accessible Communities WA (MACWA) awards program.
Program
| MC | Chris Easter |
| Welcome to Country | Geri Hayden |
| Keynote Address | Sharing lived experiences |
| Focus group #1 | What does living a good life in my community look like? What are the barriers? |
| Panel | How leading local governments tackle these barriers? |
| Focus group #2 | How do we overcome these barriers and strive for the best ideas/solutions? |
| Focus group recap | What does living a good life look like? (5 minutes) What are the barriers? (5 minutes) How can we move forward together? (10 minutes) |
| Conclusion | Tony Vis and Bruce Langoulant |
2022
Employment for People with Disability
Full Report | Easy Read
Outcome Summary | Employers Summary | Industry Group Summary | State Government Summary
Date: 29 July 2022 at 9:00am to 3:00pm
Venue: TSH, 36 Dodd St, Wembley WA 6014 (formerly Telethon Speech & Hearing Institute)
Program
| Welcome to Country | Vivienne Hansen |
| Keynote Address | Dr Ben Gauntlett, Disability Discrimination Commissioner, Australian Human Rights Commission |
| Address | Catherine McAlpine, CEO, Inclusion Australia |
| Address | Lindsay Warner, Executive Director Workforce Policy and Diversity PDF | Accessible Word |
| Microenterprise | Bronia Holyoak, Director, Valued Lives PDF | Accessible Word |
| Customised Employment | Gaelen Williams, Renae Hartmann and Will Scott-Jeffs, APM PDF | Accessible Word |
| Open Employment | Sally Hollins, CEO, Edge Employment Solutions |
| Corporate Employment | Charmain Fitzgerald and Shaun Sandy, RAC WA PDF | Accessible Word |
| DAWA Pods | All attendees |
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