Together We Can: How D Connect Is Creating a More Inclusive South West

D Connect is more than one group, one project, or one event. It is a growing community movement built on a simple belief: when people come together with shared values, real change becomes possible.

At its heart, D Connect exists to help make the South West the most inclusive and accessible region it can be. We know that inclusion does not happen by accident. It happens when people with disability, families, community groups, mentors, businesses, and local services all play a role and work side by side.

That is why D Connect is designed as a connected network, not a single program.

The heart of D Connect: people and place

Everything starts with people. D Connect Members include people with disability, carers, allies, community members, and organisations who believe everyone deserves to belong.

From there, D Connect Local Peer Support Groups create spaces where people can connect in their own communities. These groups meet regularly across towns in the South West, offering a place to share experiences, build confidence, learn about rights, and feel less alone. They are informal, welcoming, and shaped by the people who attend.

Alongside this, Community Mentors help strengthen connection and confidence. Mentors walk alongside people, not ahead of them. They support participation, encourage self advocacy, and help build bridges into community life. Mentors are supported and trained, because sustainable change needs people who are supported too.

D Connect Circles and community led action

D Connect Circles are where ideas turn into action. These are community led groups and initiatives that share our values and are supported by the D Connect network. From inclusive social events to creative groups, gaming nights, and connection spaces, Circles show what is possible when communities take ownership of inclusion.

Circles are not run from the top down. They are supported, encouraged, and amplified, because the best ideas usually come from lived experience.

Community projects that bring inclusion to life

D Connect also supports community projects that help inclusion show up in real, visible ways.

All Access Events work with event organisers and communities to improve accessibility and inclusion so more people can attend, participate, and feel welcome.

You Can Ask That creates space for honest questions, shared learning, and conversations that build understanding and reduce stigma.

Together, these projects help move inclusion from an idea into everyday practice.

Why this approach matters

We know our goal is ambitious. Making an entire region more inclusive and accessible is not easy. But we also know something important: when communities come together with shared purpose, incredible things happen.

Real change does not come from one organisation doing everything. It comes from many people doing something. Showing up. Listening. Trying. Learning. Adjusting. Supporting one another.

D Connect is designed to grow with the community. It is meant to be living, evolving, and shaped by the people who are part of it.

How you can be part of it

You do not need to have all the answers to join D Connect. You just need to care.

You might join a local peer support group.
You might become a community mentor.
You might help run a Circle, attend an event, share information, or advocate for inclusion in your workplace or town.
You might simply show up and listen.

Every role matters. Every connection strengthens the whole.

Because inclusion is not built by one voice. It is built by many, speaking together.

And when a community chooses to walk together, anything is possible.

Together, we are building something bigger than any one group. We are building connection, confidence, and communities where everyone can take part.

If this vision feels like yours too, we invite you to join us.

Click here to find out more: https://www.advocacywa.org.au/project/d-connect

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