The 12 new members are now a part of the Access and Inclusion Reference Group (AIRG) providing guidance on the implementation of the Disability Inclusion Action Plan 2021-2025 to improve accessibility and inclusion across the Coast.
The members have been selected for their expertise in accessibility, communication, legislation, advocacy, and planning.
The Access and Inclusion Reference Group enables ongoing genuine dialogue with the community and stakeholders to ensure the Disability Inclusion Plan actions remain current, contemporary and achieve outcomes of full community participation for people with disabilities.
Council would like to thank and acknowledge the outgoing Access and Inclusion Reference Group members for their input and commitment over the past 12 months.
Meet the members:
Angela Lee
Angela Lee joins the group with a keen interest in community engagement from a health perspective.
In her role as the District Intellectual Disability Coordinator with Central Coast Local Area Health, she provides consultation and education to health professionals and health clinicians alike on the assessment and management of a person with intellectual disabilities. Angelina advocates for and represents consumers with an intellectual disability and their carers, to ensure optimal service delivery with reasonable adjustments implemented as required.
Angelina is also part of the Hunter New England Specialised Intellectual Disability Health Team; managing and delivering an outreach service for Central Coast Health Local Health District, which provides multidisciplinary assessment and care planning for people with ID and complex health needs.
Angelina links Central Coast Local Health District with various health sector practitioners and state government departments, including GPs, Dept. of Education, Dept. of Communities and Justice and various Non-Government Organisations. Developing new formal links with mainstream services that are more likely to see patients with complex health needs and intellectual disability.
Bobby Redman
Bobby is an active educator and advocate for people living with dementia and retired clinical psychologist bringing qualified clinical advice and knowledge to the group. She sits on a number of committees including:
-Chair of the National Dementia Australia Dementia Advisory
-Steering Committee for the Central Coast Dementia Alliance
-Chair of the Central Coast Lived Experience Dementia Advisory Group, a group made up of local people living with dementia and their care partners.
-National Dementia Australia Advisory Committee who advises Dementia Australia
She is also a local Rotarian and Rotary District 9685 Chair for Dementia Awareness and Support which covers 72 Rotary Clubs including 14 on the Central Coast.
Carol Oakley
Carol joins the group with over 20 years of communications experience in the public, charity, and private sectors, both in the UK and Australia. Her skill set centres around strategic communications and community engagement.
Carol has personal and professional experience in the disability sector having worked as Marketing and Communications Manager with Fairhaven Disability Services. She now works with TAFE NSW as the Student Engagement Specialist, responsible for the design and implementation of engagement strategies, frameworks, and solutions for TAFE students state-wide including advocating for students with a disability.
With a family member who is vision impaired Carol is a strong campaigner for inclusion and accessibility in every aspect of life.
Dale Kennedy
Dale has lived experience (38 years) supporting and advocating for a family member living with a disability from birth to adulthood.
She has a background in occupational hazard management and allied health, a good understanding of access requirements, accommodation, hospital stay and personal care requirements in the community and social inclusion.
She has strong links to various providers in the disability services sector and has worked advocating for people with a disability as a Co-ordinator of Supports for NDIS clients and through this work has gained a solid knowledge of the NDIS.
Dale also volunteers with the Disabled Surfing Association and was the former President of Community Living & Respite, Echuca.
Finley Batten
Finley is a community member with lived experience of disability. A stay at home parent, currently studying Auslan and keen to share insights about the barriers to access experienced to help inform implementation of Council’s Disability Inclusion Action Plan and to advocate for better access and inclusion on the Coast
Kerrie Hamilton
A part time TAFE teacher for Cert III and Cert IV in Disability Services, Kerry has worked with people with a disability for many years and has a strong background advocating for accessibility for people with a disability. Many of her students either work in the disability sector, have lived experience of disability or are a carer or family member with a disability.
She is involved in work placements of her students who have to complete 120 hours as part of their course and through this work, Kerry has established strong links to the disability sector on the Central Coast.
Maree Jenner
Maree brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the group as an active member of the Central Coast Community advocating for access and inclusion which is a key priority both personally and professionally for her.
She currently works for the NDIS partner in the community, Social Futures where she facilitates inclusion awareness programs in schools and workplaces across the Coast and also with a particular interest in increasing inclusive employment opportunities for people with disabilities.
With her own lived experience of disability as a person of short stature/dwarfism, Maree meets daily challenges in regard to people’s perceptions and having to physically adapt to living in a world built for average height people.
Maree is an access advisor with Accessible Arts NSW and a regular gallery and theatre patron.
Other community organisations she is actively involved with include:
- Vice President of the Short Stature People of Australia (SSPA)
- Member of the Woy Woy Community Garden
Matthew Collins
Matthew has nearly ten years’ experience within the disability sector. He currently works for Gig Buddies Central Coast, tackling social isolation for adults with mild to moderate learning disabilities and/or autism.
Gig Buddies pairs up adults with disabilities with volunteers, both of whom share a mutual interest; paired buddies attend mainstream activities and events together.
Matthew was the Gig Buddies Sydney Engagement Coordinator for more than six years before relocating to the Central Coast to launch Gig Buddies in our region.
Scott Jones
Scott is the Community Development Coordinator for Social Futures and co-convener of the newly established Central Coast Disability Interagency.
Legally blind for 25 years, he is also keen to share his lived experience of vision impairment to assist in conversations regarding access.
His role at Social Futures enables him to work within the Central Coast community speaking to a diverse range of stakeholders and people with a disability. He has also held many executive positions within sporting organisations and local school boards. He currently runs a disability awareness program in local schools and also recently assisted in the development of Social Futures organisational Disability Inclusion Action Plan.
Scott has lived on the Central Coast for approximately 45 years and can give a personal and regional perspective of local issues affecting people with lived experience of disability.
Kathryn Ladkin
Kathryn is an active member of the community seeking improved access and safe places to go on The Coast. She is involved with a number of sport and active recreation groups on the Coast including occasional Park Runs at Woy Woy with a trained Achilles Guide, Stand Up Paddle Boarding and tandem riding.
A person who likes to stay active and who can advocate for herself, Kathryn has strong connections with the people in the various sporting groups she is involved with and keen to represent people with disabilities. With her own lived experience, she a good insight into the access need of people who are blind or with vision impairments, mental health, and neurological disorders.
Matthew Oastler
Matthew runs the Autism Friendly team at Aspect. He consults with a wide range of organisations including airports, public transport, retail, cultural organisations, sport teams and Councils (i.e., Camden and City of Sydney) on how to be more accessible and inclusive of neurodivergent people and those with other hidden disabilities.
He also sits on the Accessibility Reference Groups for Yarra Trams, Australian Museum and Australian War Memorial providing feedback about how to practically implement meaningful initiatives for people with a disability and developing good practice frameworks, policies, procedures to support good governance as well as practical information about common challenges and solutions for Autistic people in public.
Self-Advocacy Sydney-Central Coast Branch
Self-Advocacy Sydney-Central Coast will be represented by two individuals with their own lived experience as young persons with a disability (Cerebral Palsy) to educate and bring awareness to the community as well as their strong sector links.
Andie Poetschka and Ben Brown are excellent communicators with a passion for people and networking. Their goal is to make a difference for those living with disabilities and those to come in future generations through contributing ideas and solutions to issues facing our community.
Their main occupations focus on developing and empowering people living with an intellectual disability to become effective leaders and advocate for themselves.