“Forging our own path”: CPActive Champions advocate for a disability-led CPActive
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 14th 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!