A group of PWdWA members and advocates having a meeting to discuss a project.

Projects

PWdWA implements various community-based initiatives aligned with our strategic priority to empower individuals with disabilities and communities. These projects encompass activities such as informing and empowering people with disabilities to advocate for themselves, collaborating with businesses to enhance accessibility and employment opportunities for young individuals with disabilities, and mobilising communities to recognise and eliminate barriers faced by people with disabilities in their surroundings.

Business Accessibility Empowerment Program

Funded by the Department of Social Services

Since its commencement in 2022, our project has been dedicated to improving the accessibility, confidence, and inclusiveness of small to medium-sized businesses for people with disability. The initial goal was to conduct 100 business assessments across Perth, Peel, and the South West, performed by 100 young people aged 15 to 25. These youth were recruited as Youth Consultants to undertake accessibility assessments over a two-year period ending in June 2024. Their training focused on self-advocacy, confidence building, and increasing job readiness, supporting their employment prospects. Running the assessments provided meaningful employment, often serving as participants’ first job, and allowed them to share their insights and lived experiences with businesses and the community, helping to foster more accessible workplaces and positive attitudes toward employing young people with disability.

Their lived experiences significantly enhance their ability to conduct audits, facilitate training, and promote accessibility within communities.

In July 2024, we received a 12-month extension, extending the project timeline to June 2025. During this period, 40 business assessments were completed by 20 young people with disability.

In July 2025, a final 12-month extension was granted, meaning the project will conclude on June 30, 2026. The plan remains the same: to assess 40 businesses with 20 young people over the remaining period.

Throughout the project, Youth Consultants have built confidence to pursue employment, develop soft skills, improve their resumes, and enhance public speaking abilities. Some have gained work experience in their chosen industries, and others have secured part-time employment. They have also co-facilitated workshops and continued to share their experiences to promote accessibility and inclusion.

Community Disability Advocacy Network Project

The Community Disability Advocacy Project aimed to enable community-driven solutions to address local issues affecting people with disabilities. Each local community defined the issues and solutions, with actions focusing on the rights of people with disabilities to self-determination, choice, and control.
The purpose of this project was to support communities to come together as Networks to help empower and advocate for people with disabilities living in their local areas. Networks were supported as agents of change through the provision of a toolkit that outlined structured activities and guidelines, funding and administrative support, and training and upskilling as required. This enabled Networks to connect to local stakeholders and the broader community and develop strategies and initiatives to address issues impacting people with disabilities.

For more information, visit Community Disability Advocacy Project, community driven solutions addressing local issues.

Funded by Department of Communities, this project was completed in December 2023.

Self Advocacy

Self Advocacy WA (SAWA) is a group run by and for people with intellectual disability. SAWA’s mission is to provide peer support and promote self-advocacy for people with disability in Western Australia. SAWA was one of the first self-advocacy groups to be established in the 1980s during the self advocacy movement and closure of large institutions across Australia.

SAWA’s activities include:

Running regular peer support and self-advocacy meetings
Learning about speaking up, human rights, services and supports (e.g., NDIS, housing, health, transport, etc)
Attending local, state and national forums to speak about self-advocacy
Giving feedback and advice to organisations and the community as consumer advocates (e.g., on research projects, testing easy English)
Networking with other disability and self-advocacy groups to promote self-advocacy
Running social / team building activities

If you would like to know more, visit the SAWA Facebook page.

Funded by the Department of Social Services, this project was completed in July 2024. Alike WA now provides support and assistance to SAWA.

Empowered and Connected Project

The Empowered and Connected Project was a transformative initiative aimed at enhancing the knowledge, skills, and confidence of individuals with disabilities. The project’s primary objective was to equip individuals with the necessary tools to lead fulfilling lives by providing them with resources, workshops, and support. With a focus on self-advocacy, information dissemination, and peer support, the project aimed to create an inclusive and empowered community.

Advocacy-Related Workshops

A pivotal aspect of the project involved organising workshops that center around self-advocacy. These workshops delved into relevant topics such as NDIS Appeals and Access, Self-Advocacy, and government payments. By offering these workshops, PWdWA aimed to equip individuals with disabilities with the knowledge and skills necessary to navigate government services confidently.

Providing Information

Central to the project’s mission was the creation and dissemination of informative resources. Fact sheets addressing advocacy-related subjects were developed and made accessible through the PWdWA website. These resources allows the community to access crucial information that can aid them in navigating various challenges. Additionally, through a dedicated Facebook page catered to peer support group leaders, relevant information will be shared to strengthen the groups.

Peer Support Groups

The project recognised the significance of peer support in fostering a sense of community and empowerment. Through collaborations with key peer support organisations these partnerships ensured peer support groups across the state receive effective and sustainable assistance. By leveraging the expertise and resources of these organisations, the project provided comprehensive support that extends beyond workshops and information dissemination.

Funded by Department of Communities, this project was completed in July 2024.

Building a sustainable co-design network of people with disability

Connect with me - Co-Design

This projects objective was to co-design with people with disability on all aspects of policy, services, and facilities intended for use by people with disability.

The aim was make co-design a valued component of business rather than a compliance consideration. The results were:

Increased involvement of people with disability
Services and facilities better meeting the needs of people with disability
Employment opportunities for people with disability through a user-pays model
Model for WA organisations to comply with National Standards
Scaleable for regional areas

The research and design of the model included active involvement from people with disability. It is important that through the co-design network, people with disability influence service design.

Resources were co-developed with both organisations and people with disability. The aim is that through this process, organisations will develop better co-design practice and find an easier connection with a diverse range of people with disability.

Funded by Department of Communities.

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