Annual General Meeting 2025

Thank You for Joining Our Annual General Meeting

Celebrating another powerful year of advocacy, connection, and community impact

A huge thank you to everyone who joined us for Advocacy WA’s Annual General Meeting! It was wonderful to come together with our members, partners, and community to reflect on an incredible year of progress — one driven by collaboration, innovation, and an unwavering commitment to justice and inclusion for people with disability across the South West.

A Year of Action and Impact

Over the past year, our team:

• Travelled more than 30,000 kilometres across regional WA
• Visited 87 towns and communities
• Supported 611 people through individual advocacy
• Resolved 468 advocacy issues
• Created 260 hours of paid work for people with disability
• Completed nine major grants and projects

From housing and NDIS appeals to education access and employment inclusion, our advocates stood beside people with disability every step of the way — ensuring their voices were heard and their rights upheld.

Projects That Created Change

This year saw the rollout of several major initiatives:

• Your Rights, Your Supports, Your Service — empowering participants and providers to understand rights and quality supports under the NDIS.
• Peer Support and Capacity Building — expanding self-advocacy and launching D-Connect and D-Connect Local, peer networks that foster confidence and connection.
• Inclusive Leadership Project — supporting people with disability to take up board and committee roles and lead local change.
• Economic Participation Project — working with young people with disability to build job readiness, confidence, and inclusion in their communities.

These programs reflect our belief that true change happens when every voice is heard, and every person is valued.

Our Team and Community

This year, we welcomed new staff and celebrated the growth of our projects team, bringing new energy and lived experience into our work. We also strengthened partnerships with local governments, schools, and community organisations to make inclusion part of everyday practice — from accessibility audits to leadership training.

CEO Stuart Schonell shared his gratitude to our dedicated staff, board, and volunteers whose commitment continues to drive meaningful outcomes for people with disability, and to our funders and partners including the Department of Social Services, Department of Communities, Lotterywest, NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission, Enable WA, and PwDWA.

Looking Ahead

As we move into 2025–2026, Advocacy WA will continue to push for systemic reform, expand our reach into new regions, and deliver projects that strengthen rural voices. Our focus will remain on empowering people with disability to lead, speak up, and thrive — because everyone deserves the right to live a life of dignity, choice, and inclusion.

Thank you again to everyone who joined us at this year’s AGM and to all who continue to walk beside us in this work. Together, we are making change happen.

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