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Council Members and the Secretariat

Andrew Buchanan is the Chairperson of the Disability Council of NSW, which is the official adviser to the NSW Government and the State Disability Advisory Body to the Commonwealth Government. Andrew’s career has been in radio and television broadcasting, as a presenter and in senior management with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. He has particular expertise in communication, staff motivation and facilitating corporate change, and has his own company AB Communicates Pty Ltd. Having lived and worked in rural NSW and Queensland, Andrew is a strong advocate for those disadvantaged by distance. Andrew has personal experience of disability through polio since birth. He serves on a number of boards and has a broad network.

Denise Beckwith - is a Council member. Profile to come.

Michelle Dellagiacoma - is a strategic planner with State Government. Michelle is a Council Member of the Disability Advisory Council; a Board member of Carer's NSW; a member and advocate on a number of parent groups; a co-coordinator of the NSW branch of "Families Disability Support - ACD NSW; and the founding member and facilitator of a family support group.

Lori Grovenor Lori, a Counsellor, is an active and dedicated advocate for people who are blind or vision impaired in rural and regional areas living in Southern NSW. She is a Guide Dog user and the founder of the Rural Disability Network, a rural advisor for the Women with Disability Australia Network and Board Director for Blind Citizens Australia. Key Priorities Rural and regional issues which affect access to necessary services and support for people with a disability Communication to, and with, people with a disability living in regional and rural areas Transport and employment access and it’s impacts on quality of life in regional and rural areas "I am passionately committed to ensuring that the issues affecting people with a disability, their carers and families living in regional and remote areas are raised. For people with a disability living in regional and rural areas, services are rarely distributed or available in areas where they are needed. The absence of affordable transport, and in some cases the lack of transport altogether, is a key issue for people with a disability living in these areas. If you couple this with the problems created by poor access to health and allied professional services, equipment, housing, employment and communication you get a clear picture of why the systems are failing to support people with a disability to live independently and equitably in rural and regional areas. I hope to create some effective change for people living in these areas”.

Sylvana Mahmic As a mother of a young man with a disability, a service provider and advocate for people with a disability and their families, Sylvana has experience in supporting families from CALD backgrounds in south eastern Sydney. Sylvana is the Director of Pathways Early Childhood Intervention Inc., a non-government organisation, providing choices in family-centred services to children with disabilities and their families. She is President of the Early Childhood Intervention Association NSW Chapter and member of various committees and reference groups including: Early Childhood Intervention Coordination Committee (State and Area), DOCS SCAN Funding Reference Group, DADHC Expert Advisory Group Cultural and Linguistic Diversity, DADHC External Working Group on Individualised Support. Sylvana is a passionate advocate for the rights of children with a disability and their families. Key Priorities Bridging the gap to ensure better service access for children with a disability and their families from CALD communities Improving the early intervention and school transition experience for children with a disability Support for carers and families of children with a disability “I hope to be able to raise the profile of early childhood intervention issues in my time as council member. There is now recognition that support at this time can make a significant difference to children and families. While only a small period of time in a child’s life, it is the foundation for a child and family's future”.

Jamie Mitchell Jamie is a passionate and committed regional and rural advocate for people with disabilities living in rural and remote areas. A businessman from the far west of NSW, he is passionate about Broken Hill. Jamie has been actively involved in local disability support groups including the Broken Hill Disability Support Group Inc and the Silverlea Early Childhood Service. He currently operates a holiday business for people with a disability and their families. Key Priorities Improving access to necessary services in regional and remote areas for people with a disability Enhancing educational and vocational opportunities for people with a disability Improving the housing situation and options available to people with a disability and their families "I hope to be able to: bring the needs and desires of people with a disability who live in regional, remote and isolated areas to the forefront to Government, and NGO in their thinking, particularly when they are developing policies and procedures. encourage services to include Broken Hill in all information, workshop and forums when visiting areas around the state. promote regional, remote and isolated sports people and artists and performing artists whom have a disability.”

Alison Salt - is a Council member. Profile to come.

Tish Peiris A journalist and advocate for people with acquired brain injury, Tish has just completed a Masters in International Law to add to her Masters in Journalism. Remarkably both degrees have been attained after she acquired a brain injury in a serious car accident whilst working for the Colombo Sunday Times in Sri Lanka. Tish currently works as a freelance journalist and researcher for print and television and based in Northern Sydney NSW Key Priorities De-stigmatising the myths surrounding people with brain injury What the UN Convention on the Rights of Disabled People offers people with a disability in Australia Equality of employment opportunities “My interest in the disability field stems from the ‘acquired’ nature of my injury. I have a strong interest in the common experience that all people with disabilities share, no matter what their background or nationality may be. There exists so much discrimination for people with disabilities, especially ‘hidden’ disabilities like brain injury. People with brain injuries, in particular, are under-estimated to say the least.”

Sally Robinson Researcher, systemic and individual advocate for people with disability in Northern Rivers NSW. Sally is currently completing her PhD at Griffith University. Her research is about the experience of emotional and psychological abuse and neglect people with a disability living in funded disability services. She also works as a researcher for several organisations, including the UNDSW Disability Studies and Research Centre (DSaRC) and Griffith University. Key Priorities Abuse of people with disability Lifestyle and accommodation support How policy impacts on the lives of people with disability (positively and negatively, intentionally and unintentionally) “I hope I can help to keep us focused on the possibilities - to keep our eyes on what can be possible in people's lives. As a researcher who has a long background in advocacy, I hope to bring information to Council about the innovations happening in other states and countries which can educate and influence policy makers.”

Catherine Stewart - is a Council member. Profile to come.

Council Secretariat

Dougie Herd is the Executive Officer of the Disability Council of NSW which is the official adviser to the NSW Government and the State's Disability Advisory Body to the Commonwealth Government. He is Chairperson of the NSW Lifetime Care and Support Authority's Advisory Council and a Board Member of Accessible Arts NSW. Dougie was born in Glasgow, Scotland. He has been a wheelchair user since a swimming accident in 1984. He was a Winston Churchill Memorial Trust Fellow in 1988, visiting Australia. In the mid-1980s to late 1990s, Dougie lead the development of, then managed, some of Scotland’s founding and most effective systemic advocacy, information and peer support agencies in the non-government sector. They received regional, national and European Union awards or commendations for excellence and innovation. Dougie migrated to Australia in late 1999 to take up the position of Executive Officer of the Physical Disability Council of NSW, the State’s peak body for people with Physical Disability. After more than five successful years there, Dougie decided it was time to move on. He has been Executive Officer of the Office of the Disability Council of NSW since January 2005. Dougie, who is now an Australian citizen, was given Permanent Residency status in 2004 on the basis of being a “Distinguished Talent” with an international standing of excellence in the field of social justice and the rights of people with disability (according to the Department of Immigration!!!). Elsewhere Dougie has observed this actually means he has been “a right royal pain in the ass to governments on two continents”. Now, of course, as a model public servant Dougie just gives helpful advice to anyone who asks.

Marisa Pereira is our Administrative Assistant.

Kristine Schneider is an A/Assistant Policy Officer at the Disability Council of NSW.

Amelia Starr is A/Senior Policy Officer at the Disability Council of NSW.

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