NDIS Minister Bill Shorten visited the Cerebral Palsy Alliance office at Allambie last week, to hear from our CPActive Champions about their Blaze the Trail campaign. 

Since the Blaze the Trail campaign launched two years ago, Champions have been making the rounds and meeting with policy makers, including NSW Minister for Disability Inclusion Kate Washington, NSW Deputy Premier and Minister for Education Prue Car, and NSW Public Service Commissioner Katharina Lowe – to name just a few.

We know the best advocacy is the kind that is driven by, consults with and amplifies the voice of lived experience. CPActive proves that disability rights campaigns win when they are disability-led!

CPActive Champions Riley Saban, Sophie Geeves, Nicholas Lapsley and Saranna Shultz had the opportunity to meet with Minister Shorten and talk about the Blaze the Trail campaign and gain insight into how we can take our NSW-focussed campaign to the national level and get our campaign objectives met.

Minister Shorten congratulated the Champions and CPActive for all our achievements since the campaign was launched two years ago. You can read our Impact Report, which outlines our wins: https://cpactive.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/CPActive-Blaze-the-Trail-Impact-Report_2024.pdf

There was also great discussion about how important it was for education to be inclusive for people with disability, and Champions shared their own experience about barriers they faced as students.

With Minister Shorten’s new role at the University of Canberra around the corner, there was plenty to discuss about how the Minister himself can get involved in achieving our campaign asks and make assessments accessible for students at universities across Australia too.

Blaze the Trail calls for inclusive and accessible pathways from school to work, through:

1. Clear, consistent, and enforceable guidelines for support around assessments at school and university for students living with disability

• Pathways for people living with disability to enter the teaching workforce

• A state-wide initiative supporting the development of pathways for students living with disability into large businesses, government departments and community organisations.

Our Champions utilised this opportunity with the Minister to refine the next steps on our campaign journey with lots of great insights gained. We look forward to continuing to work with Minister Shorten in his new role as Vice-Chancellor of the University of Canberra to ensure that all students with disability have a fair go and thrive in their higher-education experience.

It’s never too late to show your support for accessible and inclusive education. Sign the petition today and share it with your network: https://cpactive.org.au/clocks-ticking/

On December 4, writer, actress, and advocate Hannah Diviney spoke at National Press Club, delivering a powerful address that resonated deeply with our CPActive community. It was a groundbreaking moment, as Hannah was the first woman with a visible disability to grace the iconic stage in Canberra. About time!

For many of us in the CP community, Hannah’s address was a landmark moment—one where we felt truly seen. She was fearless and honest, and shared deeply personal stories about her mental health and what it was like growing up with a disability.

“I didn’t just want to exist in the world—I wanted to change it,” Hannah declared, her voice unwavering. “I wanted to take up space, to be loud enough that people couldn’t ignore us anymore.”

Hannah spoke candidly about the barriers she has faced—from the physical to the systemic—but her focus remained steadfast on the future we can build together. A future where people with disabilities are not only seen but heard, valued, and empowered to lead.

She made the most out of the opportunity to share her personal experience, call out issues of discrimination, and advocate for people with disability to be at the highest levels of government, including the newly vacant position of NDIS Minister.

At CPActive, we believe in the power of storytelling for creating community and creating meaningful change, and this was one of those moments when a story’s power was palpable. No moment was taken for granted – allies were listening, and people with disabilities were being heard.

“Our stories matter,” she said. “We deserve to have our lives reflected back at us in books, in movies, in leadership, in spaces of power.”

Among the live audience were three young disability advocates from CPActive, who told us that seeing Hannahs address was validation to their own experiences.

“Hannah’s storytelling is the kind which draws you in and takes you on a journey where you feel the pain and the jubilation; one minute you’ll be crying the next you’ll be grinning from ear to ear. It was a fantastic listen!”
Luther Hare, CPActive Champion

“As a young person growing up with CP, it was truly insightful to hear her thoughts and her activism methods. It resonated with me on a large scale and was very inspiring.”
Eleanor Dyne, CPActive Champion

“For the first time I felt like I wasn’t alone and can relate to Hannah with her experience of mental health struggles”
Eireann Wood, CPActive Champion

Their reflections, much like Hannah’s words, centred around what it feels like to be represented in spaces that have historically overlooked or excluded people with disabilities.

You can watch Hannah’s full National Press Club speech here: https://youtu.be/nARt4wxCOkU?feature=shared

Back in April, I spoke at the NSW Parliamentary Inquiry into young people with disability in education settings. After four months, the Inquiry responded to the voices of lived experience and experts on inclusive education and handed down its findings in a 222-page report. If you are interested in reading our submission, see it here.

I was really pleased to see there were recommendations that directly align with the asks of our Blaze the Trail Campaign!

Some of the recommendations from the report include:

Recommendation 13 – That the NSW Government continue to improve the proportion of teachers and support staff with disability in the school sector and consider how more students with disability can be supported and encouraged to gain a teaching degree. 

Recommendation 20 That the NSW Government create clear and direct guidelines for schools to enable compliance with statutory obligations to provide reasonable adjustments for students with disability. 

Recommendation 21: That the NSW Government consider a streamlined process, including a line of communication between the relevant agencies, for granting disability provisions for the Higher School Certificate. The process should incorporate recognition of pre-existing conditions and adjustments already provided in the classroom.

This is progress for our campaign and for the students with disability – and we couldn’t have done it without our Champions and the support of our CPActive community!

It’s not only about what we’ve done to get to this point, but about everything our community and our Blaze the Trail Campaign has accomplished, because it is a testament to our commitment to make meaningful change at all levels of government, and I couldn’t be prouder.

We successfully gained NSW Labor opposition support to commit to our three asks.

Back in in the lead-up to the 2023 NSW state election, NSW Labor committed to making change on three fronts:

1. Clear, consistent and enforceable guidelines for support around assessments at school and university for students living with disability.
2. Pathways for people living with disability to enter the teaching workforce.
3. State-wide initiative supporting the development of pathways for students living with disability into large business, government departments and community organisations.

When they successfully formed the new NSW Government in 2023, they undertook work on these asks, and since then, myself and fellow CPActive Champions have met with some key political figures and stakeholders to progress the work.

Our Champions have now met with Minister for Disability Inclusion Kate Washington three times, as well as the Deputy Premier and Minister of Education Prue Car, and the Public Service Commissioner Kathrina Lo, to discuss our priorities and make a plan towards implementing our campaign asks.  

Our Champions have also met with CEO Paul Martin and representatives from the NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) and the NSW Public Service and the Teachers Federation.

We continue to work with the NSW Government to monitor the progress of our work and how they are implementing changes based on our key asks.

We have collaborated with NSW Public Service on supporting inclusive pathways to careers in the public sector.

We co-hosted an online information session with the NSW Public Service to showcase the 2025 Government Graduate program. It was a great opportunity for young grads to learn about what career opportunities are available and what inclusive hiring practices looks like.

Unfair exam provisions for students with disability has made it to the media recently, with a Western Sydney student, Layla, being denied the technology she needs to complete her HSC. You can watch her story on ‘A Current Affair’ here.  

Layla’s story is just one of many, so we need you to add your signature to our petition, calling for clear, consistent and enforceable guidelines for support around assessments at schools for students living with disability.

Sign our petition now and share it with your networks!

Link here: https://cpactive.org.au/clocks-ticking/

Although the Inquiry recommendations and the work we have done with NSW Government is moving in the right direction, there is much more work to be done.

We look forward to continuing to progress our asks, to advocate for meaningful change, and make Australia the most inclusive it’s ever been.

Thank you for your continued support!

Yours in Action,

Sophie Geeves

Steering Committee Member

Chair, Blaze the Trail Working Group

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CPActive proudly presented the NSW Government Graduate Program Information Session on Tuesday 6^th August, in collaboration with the NSW Public Service.

Hosted by CPActive Steering Committee member, Aman Gopalani, the event included an address by Deputy Commissioner of the NSW Public Service Chris Lamb, a full presentation on the graduate program and a Q&A with members of the NSW Public Service team.

Watch the full event recording here.

For more information to assist you with your NSW Government Graduate Program application, the team at NSW Public Service have created a detailed information pack below.

CPActive will continue to work with NSW Government to create more inclusive school to work pathways.

Good luck with your application!

Yours in Action

CPActive

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One choice, endless opportunities.

Thank you for attending the CPActive Information Session for the NSW Government Graduate Program.

We look forward to receiving your application.

Application process

Applications close on Wednesday 14^th August.

See our tips for applicants guide to help you understand the application process and for guidance on navigating each stage.

Application adjustments are available

The Graduate Program has partnered with Peter Berry Consulting (PBC) to provide confidential application adjustments. PBC will proactively contact candidates who indicate in their application that they may require an adjustment. If you note this on your application, they will provide a detailed outline of the application process, and the steps involved, and invite you to get in touch to discuss adjustments.

We encourage you to request adjustments at any or all stages of the recruitment process. Some examples of adjustments include:

• Providing information in screen reader compatible formats
• Providing people with vision impairment a phone assessment instead of an online assessment
• Providing untimed assessments when required
• Longer break times between activities or extra reading time

Please contact Akanksha Joshi at PBC by email adjustments@peterberry.com.au.

We also have more information for candidates with disability on our website.

Stream

Refer to the overviews for each stream to help you decide which stream best suits you. For the occupation-specific streams, we have information on the disciplines or degrees we are looking for.

Roles available

We have close to 200 roles available in the 2025 Graduate Program. We cannot provide information about specific roles or agencies as these may vary.

You can find out more information about the types of roles available by reviewing the program information and role description for each stream: https://iworkfor.nsw.gov.au/about-the-graduate-program.

While we may have a role that aligns directly with your degree, we ask our graduates to be open to trying different things in each placement.

Placements and work locations

You’ll do three six-month placements in two different agencies. The exception is social work which has two nine-month placements in the Department of Communities and Justice.

Placements are stream specific. There are no cross-stream opportunities.

A graduate’s work location region is the same for all placements. If you choose Sydney and surrounds you will be placed in the same region for all placements. This does not mean your placement will be in the same town or city. For example, if your first placement is in Parramatta your second placement could be in North Sydney.

Working at the NSW Government

You’ll find the NSW Government provides a flexible and supportive workplace culture.

As a person with disability, you can request that workplace adjustments are made to ensure you are able to participate in the workplace on an equal basis. Workplace adjustments will be different for everyone, but some examples include:

• using assistive technology 
• requesting changes to your physical workspace
• modifying the way you work or communicate with others. 

Where different ways of working are required, such as changing work hours or locations, these can usually be managed under flexible working policies. Flexible work practices may vary between agencies and departments, but flexible work practices can include varying your start and finish times and accruing flex time.

Flexible work can also include Hybrid work, allowing you to work from home in line with your agency’s flexible work policies.

Most roles in government have a 35-hour work week, which in combination with flexible work practices helps you to maintain work-life balance.

The NSW Government has a supportive and inclusive culture, and that workplace adjustments are available and will be tailored to your individual needs at the time of onboarding with your new agency.

Program support

You’ll have a placement manager, mentor, and executive sponsor as well as structured learning and opportunities to engage in networking events.

Each NSW Government agency has their own employee assistance program to provide free counselling and support to employees.

Education eligibility

You will need to demonstrate that you have fully completed an eligible degree or will complete an eligible degree between 1 June 2022 and 31 December 2024.

Eligible degrees are those rated by the Australian Qualifications Framework as being level 7 and above (Bachelor Degree, Undergraduate Certificate, Bachelor Honours Degree, Graduate Certificate, Graduate Diploma, Master’s Degree, Doctoral Degree).

Eligibility – other

You need to meet any essential requirements set out in the role description for the stream you apply for. Please contact the Graduate Program team to discuss any concerns you may have about meeting essential requirements. 

We accept applications from students from outside of NSW. You must be willing to live in NSW for the duration of the Program. Any relocation expenses are solely the responsibility of the graduate.

There is no age limit for applying for the Graduate Program.

Legal Stream – Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice

Legal stream graduates must be willing to study a Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice (GDLP) during the program. If you have started studying a GDLP, you are ineligible for the legal stream.

The responsibility for paying for PLT is split between the agency and the graduate. Graduates pay up to $4,000 with FEE-HELP options available.

Contact us

For any questions about the Program or working with the NSW Government, please contact us

Email: nswgraduateprogram@psc.nsw.gov.au

For any questions about application adjustments, please contact PBC

Email: adjustments@peterberry.com.au.

CPActive, the Cerebral Palsy Alliance grassroots disability advocacy platform, together with our campaign community of champions and allies, is proud to mark a new era of advocacy with the launch of the CPActive Champion Steering Committee.

 The Steering Committee’s establishment is driven by our passionate CPActive Champions ensuring that the voice of lived experience is heard at all levels of advocacy. This is a significant move forward to ensure that CPActive is led by people with disabilities, is a key player in the disability advocacy space and follows the central principal of disability activism and justice: “nothing about us, without us.”

The inaugural Steering Committee members are:

• Aman Gopalani (Sydney)
• Daniel Clarke – Chair (Brisbane)
• Riley Saban (Coffs Harbour)
• Sophie Geeves (Sydney)

One further position on the Steering Committee includes the CPActive Operational team, shared by Teigan Butchers and Skye Brien.

The Steering Committee will work collaboratively with CPA to provide direction and strategic oversight of CPActive’s campaigns and events, and work to progress the advocacy community’s overall mission.

Since its foundation in 2021, CPActive has grown from a small group of disability activists to a community of over 10,000 including; people with lived experience of CP and other disabilities, family members, supporters, disability sector workers and wider allies. The formation of the Steering Committee will amplify and empower these voices by positioning CPActive as a disability-led vehicle for change.

Steering Committee Chair Daniel Clarke, an environmental advocate whose conservation efforts have been awarded the 2021 QLD Young Australian of the Year, said the formation of the group was a milestone to celebrate.

“People with disability have the capacity to make the decisions about what is right for us. Our vision for CPActive is to bring an era of advocacy for people with CP that turns stereotypes about people with disability on its head.”

“With the launch of the Steering Committee, people with disabilities are no longer just being consulted, instead we are driving the change at the highest level”

– Daniel Clarke

The Steering Committee will lead the wider CPActive Champions network – a growing collective consisting of 30 people with lived experience, who are the leaders and voices of the CP community. These Champions operate CPActive’s working groups that are tasked with specific campaigns, such as CPActive’s ‘Blaze the Trail’ campaign for inclusive education and employment pathways.

Member of the Steering Committee, Sophie Geeves, who in addition to her work with CPActive is a policy officer at First People’s Disability Network, commented on the importance of the Steering Committee.

“Through the CPActive Champions Steering Committee, people with disabilities are empowered to organise and campaign on the issues that really matter to us.

This will be a powerful new instrument to drive real change and ensure our society is more equitable and accessible for everyone,”

– Sophie Geeves

Come and meet our Steering Committee at CPActive’s upcoming Lived Experience Lab! Meet the new leaders of our campaign and let us know what you think CPActive should be raising voices for in 2024. A great chance to connect with your community and hear from like-minded people! The event will be run online on the 14^th May at 6pm. Register here!

Want to become a CPActive Champion?
If you are a person living with CP or similar disability and would like to include your voice on our campaigns towards change, sign up as a CPActive Champion today!

Members of CPActive’s ‘Blaze the Trail’ working group have stepped up the campaign for inclusive education and employment policies in a meeting with the Hon Kate Washington MP, Minister for Disability Inclusion.

CPActive Champions Marusha Rowe, Nicole Kozelj, Riley Saban and Saranna Schultz, joined by CPActive lead Teigan Butchers, met Minister Washington and key staff at the MP’s ministerial offices in the Sydney CBD this week to put the ‘Blaze the Trail’ campaign back on the political agenda.

The meeting covered a broad range of topics in education and employment, centered on the lived experience of the CPActive Champions and their personal journeys as young people with CP.

Minister Washington highlighted several areas of progress and updated the Champions on the work being done in the disability space – including the state’s response to the recently-completed NDIS Review, upcoming reforms to the scheme and the ongoing parliamentary inquiry into disability in educational settings.

Even a fire alarm and interruption from the fire brigade couldn’t prevent the hour-long meeting, which enabled the Champions to also have a brief meeting with Steve Kamper MP, Minister for Sport, Small Business and Multiculturalism.

“It was great for our meeting to be heard in the meeting with Minister Washington. I’m looking forward to the next planned meeting to ensure the successful progression of ‘Blaze the Trail’,” said Riley Saban, a 23-year-old disability advocate and start-up founder.

Riley, who journeyed from Coffs Harbour for the meeting, has CP quadriplegia and communicated throughout the meeting using eye-gaze technology.

The meeting follows the relaunch of Blaze the Trail last month, which has resulted in our campaign petition surpassing 1,000 signatures and more than 10,000 people viewing our explainer video across social media.

“The ‘Blaze the Trail’ campaign continues to burn bright, [and] their voices are so important to the work we’re doing in government, to create a more accessible and inclusive NSW,” said Minister Washington.

“Many thanks to Cerebral Palsy Alliance for backing these talented young people to become confident advocates and leaders.”

The next step? Our CPActive Champions will continue to campaign for meaningful change – and you can support us and keep up to date by joining our CPActive community here.

CPActive Champions and CPA staff pose for a photograph in front of NSW Parliament before meeting Kate Washington MP.

It’s been a big few weeks for the disability sector – and CPActive was right at the centre of it!

Just before Christmas, a dozen of our CPActive champions were invited to attend the NDIS Review town hall in Sydney to hear directly from the architects of the NDIS about the milestone review and what it means for our sector.

Importantly, it was also an opportunity for the disability community to come together and speak up about their concerns and feedback.

The event was led by a panel including Professor Bruce Bonyhady AM, Lisa Paul AO, Kirsten Dean, Douglas Herd and Stephen King, as they outlined the ins-and-outs of the NDIS Review.

Some familiar faces joined in on the discussion, too – CPActive Champions!

CPActive Champion Aaryan Shah joined NDIS Minister Bill Shorten and activist (and event host) Elly Desmarchelier on stage for a discussion about lived experience and the future of the NDIS. Aaryan said he was looking forward to how the NDIS can be improved so it’s not a ‘single point of failure.’

“I’m just really taken away by the amount of passion for everyone on the panel and everyone in this room – fighting for so much change and getting the most out of the scheme and the best it can be. I think there’s some really exciting things to come.” – Aaryan Shah

It was a great experience to join so many passionate disability advocates and allies, both in person and online, with more than 700 people in attendance.

CPActive knows how important it is to amplify the voices of lived experiences to improve the way people with disability do – and should – access the care and support they need.

Support also comes from community and the ability to share information and navigate the complexities of the NDIS. Members of our community are optimistic about the review and the much-awaited reform it will bring.

“The NDIS is a complex system at best but this review, while it seems complicated, will hopefully make it easier to navigate and ensure the fairness and accessibility of not just the NDIS but the wider support networks available for people with disabilities.” – Tamsin Colley

Several CPActive champions even kicked on after the official event to say cheers to 2023 and celebrate the year that was. 

Want to join us and make Australia a more inclusive place? Head to CPActive.org.au to get involved!

More than 300 submissions from 30-plus countries gathered over 23,000 votes, helping our judges shortlist the most impactful ideas.

Last week our global CP community gathered for a virtual event to find out the results of the campaign – and we are thrilled to share that the winner for 2023 is Maria Dalmon with her app ‘Help Connect’. Congratulations Maria!

Maria’s idea is the creation of an app would allow people with speech disabilities to effectively communicate their needs to anyone, easing any concerns about being stranded during an emergency situation.

“I am excited at the thought of Help Connect being developed and giving me and other people with speech difficulties the confidence to go ‘out and about’ knowing help is available at the push of a button”, said Maria.

The judging panel assessed competition ideas for potential impact, reach and marketability, with the main focus on funding an idea that can make the biggest difference for people living with CP and similar disabilities.

Pete Horsley, founder of disability tech accelerator Remarkable and one of the competition judges said, “We felt the winning idea addressed all the criteria and demonstrates real potential to be refined into a universally designed solution that could have massive global impact.

“It was great to see a range of ideas received this year and the efforts some applicants went to in representing their thinking through drawings, sketches and videos!”

Along with netting the prize money of USD$5,000, Maria will work with a team of designers, entrepreneurs, and developers to bring her idea to life through Cerebral Palsy Alliance’s disability tech accelerator, Remarkable.

Sophie Marmont won the People’s Choice Award for her idea ‘Steady me!’, an app for people who lack the motor control to assist in steadying and increasing the overall accessibility of a mobile phone. The app can be used for steadying a phone for texting when voice-to-text is not an option, by making the keyboard or dial pad larger and taking photos.

The judges noticed some common themes emerging this year with many submissions around the world highlighting a need to address the gaps in communication technology and basic, affordable low-tech solutions to enhance daily independence.

“This inspires us to keep doing what we’re doing at Remarkable to accelerate more disability innovation to market, ensuring that in time more solutions reach all corners of the planet,” said Pete.

Remarkable is dedicated to harnessing the power of technology and innovation to shape a world of equal opportunity, access, and possibility for people with a disability.

As an organisation, and staunch advocates for people living with CP and similar disabilities, we are so proud of this community. Let’s continue to work together to create a world that provides equal opportunities and possibilities for everyone.

Champions Nicholas Lapsley and Meret Hassanen spoke at a Masterclass panel at the International College of Management Sydney on Diversity in Leadership. Led by Dr Trevor Clark, the Undergraduate Dean at ICMS, the panel explored the importance of diversity in leadership and what we can learn from it.

Nicholas spoke eloquently on the assumptions that others make around people with disability, the limitations that such assumptions create, and how he is always challenging those. He noted the lack of leaders with disability in organisations, which he is actively working to change alongside other champions and the CP community through CPActive and the Blaze the Trail Campaign.

Meret spoke about opportunities, and how she takes every one that is presented to her because it could lead to anything. She shared how her internship at SBS gave her a foot in the door, which led to her current job at ABC as a film producer. She uses her platform to advocate for including people with disability in film production. She expressed her gratitude for all the opportunities that have come up and shared the wisdom of not being too hard on herself.

Our CPActive champions show their leadership through sharing their stories, which are an incredibly powerful tool in creating meaningful change. Part of what makes our community so great is the collection of stories and experiences we bring with us when we come together – and sharing them brings us one step closer to making Australia the most inclusive place to live. 

If you or someone you know is a young person with CP interested in developing their leadership skills, advocacy skills and connecting with others – then stay tuned and keep an eye on your inbox for some big news! Join us at cpactive.org.au and never miss a beat.

It was great to hear a shoutout to CPActive from Hannah Diviney on national ABC show The Drum last Friday! If you missed it, you can listen to the panel discussion starting at the 15-minute mark by checking out the full recording here.

Hannah Diviney is a disability advocate, actress and the Editor-in-Chief of Missing Perspectives, a platform that elevates the voices of diverse storytellers, particularly young women who are often underrepresented in the news industry.

When asked about the impact of COVID lockdowns on potential outcomes in the NSW state election, Hannah didn’t hesitate to highlight the work of CPActive and the campaign commitments – or lack thereof – of most political parties.

“There’s a collective of young people with cerebral palsy … called CPActive, which has been lobbying for changes in education reform, particularly when it comes to how students with disabilities are treated in the education system and addressing some of the inequities that we’re exposed to it in the education system by COVID. Unfortunately, a lot of students fell behind and suffered negatively because they weren’t receiving face-to-face learning or the support that they need.

CPActive has been lobbying for education reform. We’ve had commitment from Chris Minns and the Labor Party, and if they’re elected they will honour and commit to our reform. We’ve had some positive responses from MPs within the Liberal Party, but we haven’t had a response from Dominic Perrottet.”

“Well there’s time yet, you just said it on national television so there you go!” responded Ellen Fanning.

“I would imagine if something was going to get him to respond, it might be this,” said Hannah.

It’s a big win for CPActive to not only be mentioned, but praised on national television for a well-run grassroots campaign.

We look forward to working with the newly elected Labor government to implement the reform designed by our CPActive Champions.