Live from the 16th Annual National Disability Summit

Partnering for Change: The Positive Impact of Community Health

We’re proud to share that Advocacy WA’s Board Chairperson, Jethro Hepton, and CEO, Stuart (Stu) Schonell, are delivering their keynote session today at the 16th Annual National Disability Summit.

Their presentation, Partnering for Change: The Positive Impact of Community Health, explores how disability service providers can strengthen the foundations of inclusion, participation, and independence for people with disability particularly in rural, regional, and remote communities.

Drawing on both professional expertise and lived experience, Stu and Jethro are sharing practical, solutions-focused ideas for rebuilding local supports through:

• Stronger community partnerships that centre lived experience and collaboration
• Smarter funding approaches that empower people, not systems
• Effective government policy that reflects the realities of regional life
• Better connections between services to close the gaps in access and continuity of care

Their message is clear: when communities work together, we can create real, lasting change.

This session described, by both leaders as a “foundational supports”, conversation calls on providers, policymakers, and advocates alike to think differently about how we build and sustain the supports people with disability need to thrive close to home.

As Jethro and Stu take the national stage, they’re not just representing Advocacy WA they’re representing the voices, strengths, and aspirations of regional Western Australians with disability, showing that meaningful change starts with local partnerships and shared purpose.

We’re thrilled to see Advocacy WA’s leadership shaping the national conversation and driving change where it’s needed most.

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