Discovering possibilities,
nurturing relationships
involving community,
and Live IT! conference
“Success in Transitions”
Ann Harding Centre
University of Canberra
6-7 November 2014
About the Conference
ImagineMORE is pleased to announce its second Live It! Conference. The theme for this
conference is “Success in Transitions”
This conference will present local, national and international approaches to support
meaningful and inclusive lives for people with disabilities. It will highlight ideas
through the sharing of stories of what is possible. The conference will identify
strategies that enable people to create success out of times of change.
The introduction of the NDIS in Canberra from July this year will require individuals
and those who support them to have a clear vision of what a good life means before
seeing NDIS planners.
Who is this conference for
This conference is for individuals and families whose lives are touched by disability or
mental illness. It is for advocates, support workers, professionals, CEO’s government
employees and others who are interested in authentic, practical social inclusion,
individualisation, empowerment and community building. It is of great interest to those
wishing to genuinely transform education and supports from segregated or congregate
care to inclusive practice.
“Success in Transitions” for vulnerable people can and should include all the good
things of life, community connections, a place to call home, choice, acceptance and
belonging. This conference will bring local and international pioneers to present to you
on the issues surrounding ‘Success in Transition.’
Conference Themes
This conference will discuss issues of:
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Self determination and autonomy
Understanding the power of change
Policy and funding implications
Ideas, strategies and stories centered on specific times of change
Speakers
Patrick Schwarz Dr Patrick
Schwarz is a professor of Special
Education and the Chair of
Diversity Learning and
Development for the NationalLouis University, Chicago. His professional
focus is furthering education and services that
promote the status of individuals with a range
of support needs. Patrick works to facilitate
successful engagement in various
environments, allowing people to make
contributions and develop experiences that are
meaningful for them. He is a motivational
speaker and author of multiple publications
including Just Give Him the Whale! (With Paula
Kluth)
Bob Jackson Dr Bob Jackson
is the Managing Director of
Include and has been
working in the field of
human services and
education for over three
decades. He has had a wide
experience as a Direct Care worker,
Psychologist, Manager of Disability Services,
Researcher, Director of a Research Centre on
Disability and Associate Professor of
Education. Bob has worked as a consultant to
government, private and public educations
systems, agencies and families. He is also a
Registered Psychologist and a member of a
national committee overseeing the quality of
training in Social Role Valorisation.
Jan Kruger Jan has been actively
involved in the disability sector
in NSW and ACT for the past 12
years as a parent, a member of an
advocacy group, as well as a
family representative on various
Community Boards and Associations. Jan has
engaged with local, national and international
like-minded family leadership organisations to
learn and bring back initiatives to the Canberra
community. Along with Jacki Reichelt and her
husband Paul she established Imagine More
Ltd in June 2013 to strengthen families and
enhance communities. Jan has gained many
skills from her experiences to prepare her to
walk alongside and learn with individuals and
families to plan for the future, seek out valued
lives and to imagine more. Jan has a bachelor in
Community Education, with a focus on Asset
Based Community Development.
Maureen Sheehan Maureen
Sheehan is the Executive
Coordinator of the NDIS in
the ACT and Executive
Director of Service Strategy
and Community Building.
This involves responsibility for the transition of
all ACT services and clients to the National
Disability Insurance Scheme by 2016. She was
previously Deputy Director General of the
Community Services Directorate and the
Executive Director of Housing and Community
Services She has over 11 years experience in
housing and homelessness services policy and
service design, and service delivery. Prior to
this she worked as an adviser to the ACT
Government on social policy issues, including
industrial relations and mental health.
Nathan Basha Nathan is a
motivational speaker pushing
boundaries. Nathan might
happen to have Down
syndrome but he says, “That’s
not who I am”. He has spoken
at international and national conferences,
political forums, universities, schools and
workshops, sharing his insights
about………... Nathan is an actor, a university
student, a filmmaker and works at the “coolest
radio station in Sydney”. He is also an
ambassador for a NSW government campaign –
Living Life My Way.
NB* [“No Barriers”] is Nathan’s business and
his way of making change for others with
disability. NB seeks to create a world which
ALL people are valued and have equality of
opportunity to lead fulfilling lives by achieving
their innate potential.
Through engaging with the corporate sector
and community, Nathan aims to open more
doors to employment for other people with a
disability.
Gus & Jacki Reichelt
Jacki and husband Ronny are parents of three
awesome school-aged children, one of whom
has a disability. While full inclusion for all their
children has always been the intention, the
road has not always been easy. Jan and Paul
have offered inspiration, support and advocacy
to the Reichelt family which has allowed their
vision for inclusion to be better articulated and
thus more likely to succeed. Jacki is particularly
keen to encourage influential members of our
communities, such as teachers, health
practitioners and employers, to focus on the
abilities and potential of individuals rather
than the deficit, ‘wrap-them-up-in-cotton-wool’
model that is frustratingly common.
an artist, a filmmaker, a seasoned international
traveller and has recently became a flatmate.
Jeannette Purkiss
Jeanette Purkis has a
diagnosis of Asperger
Syndrome and atypical
schizophrenia. She is the
author of ‘Finding a
Different Kind of Normal’ (2006) - an
autobiography - and ‘The Wonderful World of
Work: A Workbook for Asperteens’ (2014). She
has also contributed material to other Autism
books including ‘Autism All-Stars (2012) and
‘Been There, Done That, Try This (2014, all
Jessica Kingsley Publishers).
Jean Walker & Robyn Kitchener
Robyn Kitchener and Jean Walker are from the
ACT Education and Training Directorate.
Both are early childhood teachers with
extensive experience in early intervention.
Their work within the Student Engagement
Branch, Disability Education team focuses on
supporting the engagement and participation
of all children in their local preschool.
They work with school executive and teaching
teams to develop environments, programs and
practices that are inclusive and responsive to
the needs of all children.
Robyn and Jean have both worked across states
and territories in government and nongovernment roles.
They are currently working with early
intervention programs and schools to plan the
transition of children in Education and Training
Directorate Early Intervention programs
transitioning to preschool in 2015.
Jeanette has been an Autism advocate for many
years. She maintains a supportive presence on
social media and has presented at a number of
Autism conferences, including for Autism South
Australia and Asperger Services Australia. She
has also given countless talks on Autism for
school, teacher and parent groups. Last year
Jeanette delivered a talk on Autism and
resilience for TEDxCanberra. Jeanette also
facilitates a women’s group for women on the
Autism spectrum and mothers of Aspergirls in
Canberra.
Emma Brodie
Emma Brodie is a young woman
who sees her life as the typical,
ordinary, life that other young
people her age are experiencing.
Emma, who belongs in a family of
six, has an active work and social life that
includes many valued roles. She is an Office
Assistant in an IT company in Sydney, a poet,
Frances Brodie
Frances Brodie is a wife and
mother of four adult children.
Emma her third child who is 26
was born with an intellectual
disability. Frances believed from
the moment Emma was born that as a family
they had to have the same high expectations for
Emma as they had for the rest of their children.
With this vision Frances and her family have
helped create a meaningful life for Emma and
most recently supported her to move into her
own home which she shares with two flat
mates.
Debra Evans & Kirsten Cross
Kirsten Cross is the Executive Officer and
Debra Evans is a Development and Support
Worker for ACT Playgroups. They have many
years’ experience assisting community
playgroups and specialise in
supporting/facilitating playgroups for children
with additional needs.
Alison Oakleigh & Suzy Proctor
Alison has a range of public speaking and
performance experience including as a highly
rated lecturer at the ANU teaching
international social policy. With her musical
duo The Cashews, Alison is a regular
performer, on ABC666 radio and at the Botanic
Gardens Summer Series Concerts. Suzy is an
emerging - and instinctive - public figure. This
opportunity will be one of her first public
appearances. Both are Canberra locals.
Suzy and Alison are an extraordinary pair.
Sisters, born 18 months apart, their lives could
not have been more different, due in part, to
the profound intellectual and physical
disabilities Suzy was born and lives with.
Despite these differences, they are a dynamic
duo whose tangible, loving bond helps to invite
the audience to see and experience the
contribution of people with profound
intellectual disability. Together they move and
motivate all around them to widen their
horizons of diversity.
Helen & Caitlin Beasley
Originally a Registered Nurse,
Helen now works in the Public
service. Her passion for
Primary Health Care
commenced while at university. Outside of
work I am a leader of youth in Girl Guides. She
loves outdoor activities but the most important
part of her life is her 14 year old daughter
Caitlin.
Caitlin was born with a
ventricular septal defect, a
submucous cleft palate, no
tendons in her right thumb and
malformed Left thumb. She had
her first surgery at the age of three on her
thumbs. While they aren’t perfect, Caitlin
doesn’t let this stop her. Regular visits to the
Cardiologist until the VSD closed over and at
the age of 5 a speech therapist realised she
wasn’t talking because of the Submucous Cleft
palate, and underwent further surgery to
amend this. At 8, Caitlin was diagnosed with
ASD. Caitlin went to a local primary school with
separated classes for those with special needs.
She was bullied by others in those classes and
hated school. Caitlin is now 14 years old and is
in Year 8 in a regular school. She is involved in
Girl Guides, likes playing the drums, listening to
music and dancing and loves cooking.
Rhiannon Brodie
Rhiannon has two brothers and a
sister. Her younger sister,
Emma, has an intellectual
disability. Growing up as
brothers and sisters, Emma was
just a part of everything - whatever her
brothers and sister did, she did. Rhiannon
believes that this ordinary
family experience has provided Emma with the
foundation for her rich and meaningful life.
Maureen Howe Maureen is the
Community Development Officer
with Disability ACT. Along with
15 years teaching experience – in
mainstream, special education
and behaviour management; she
has 7 years experience working directly with
people with disability; and has worked in
community development for the last 9 years,
including the ‘Schools as Community Centers’
project in NSW.
Maureen is committed to creating more
inclusive communities in which people with
disability, especially those with intellectual
disability, are authentically welcomed and
valued – because everyone is better off when
we connect with, and include people who are
characterful, interesting, entertaining, have
unique skills ....... and remind the rest of us not
to take ourselves so seriously.
Merrelin & Byron Robbins
For fun Merrelin is now treasurer
of her Lions Club and the local
neighbourhood watch. She is
involved in her local church and
volunteers with the Sunflower
Op-Shop in Civic. She also, between broken
limbs, likes to walk around her neighbourhood,
attempt Yoga, devours books and has caught up
with world adventures on a few cruises and
bus trips with all the other oldies.
Then there is Byron. He is now 36, is friends
with all the shopkeepers in Curtin, goes to Boys
Brigade, is a strong participant at Lions events,
has recently completed seven years of
mainstream employment where he was
described as a ray of sunshine, has a Science
degree majoring in Mathematics and is still just
wonderful. Merrelin and her husband John are
very proud of him. As their only child they
continue to care and wonder about his future.
Currently they are attempting to establish a
Circle of Support.
Sheree Henley Sheree is a
parent of 17-year-old Isaac
who has complex needs and
who has also enjoyed the
benefits of an inclusive life. She has been
working with a circle of friends for 7 years to
support Isaac to build friendships, find work
experience opportunities and to plan how he
might move into a home of his own. Isaac’s
circle has recently become an incorporated
microboard.
Fiona May Fiona is the CEO of
ADACAS, the ACT Disability,
Aged and Carer Advocacy
Service. She is also a carer of a
child with disabilities. Fiona
sees a crucial role for both
individual advocacy and supported decision
making in bringing the Convention on the
Rights of Persons with Disabilities principles to
life in the launch of the National Disability
Insurance Scheme in the ACT. ADACAS
provides individual advocacy and decision
support for individuals, and family members to
overcome barriers to good life chances and
uphold rights. Over the past 12 months, in
partnership with ImagineMore and Julia Farr
Purple Orange, Fiona has co-facilitated capacity
building workshops for people with disabilities
and their families to support them to prepare
for the NDIS and think in new ways about
creating the best life chances for a person with
disabilities.
Graham West Graham brings
over 20 years experience in the
NFP and Government sector, as a
CEO, Minister of Juvenile Justice,
Member of NSW Parliament and
advisor researcher and consultant. He
currently is a Principal Consultant at Noetic
Group. He is also Vice President and past CEO
of the NSW chapter of the St Vincent de Paul
Society.