International Day of People with Disability 2026
Description
Celebrating International Day of People with Disability 2026: Peer Workforce & Diversity: Shaping a Stronger Health System
Valuing lived experience, advancing disability inclusion, improving care.
Join us in-person or online to discover how lived experience and disability inclusion are helping create better care, stronger workplaces, and better outcomes for our community.
Reasons to attend
Hear directly from people with lived experience.
Learn about the South Metropolitan Health Service (SMHS) Mental Health Lived Experience Inclusion Plan (LEIP)
Find out more about SMHS Workplace Adjustment Passports, flexible workplace practices, and inclusive recruitment approaches.
Explore how SMHS peer workforce development is helping to build a welcoming environment where employees with disability can thrive.
Connect with others passionate about improving disability inclusion.
Be part of the conversation shaping the future of inclusive health care.
You can join us in-person at Fiona Stanley Hospital or online via MS Teams.
If joining in person be sure to visit the stallholder event happening concurrently to the speaker event, within the Fiona Stanley Hospital Concourse! Showcasing various organisations and an engaging art installation by DADAA.
Don't miss this opportunity to celebrate the contributions of people with disability and learn how SMHS is forging ahead with contemporary approaches to disability inclusion, peer-informed care, and equitable employment practices.
This event is a partnership between South Metropolitan Health Service (SMHS) Mental Health and Department of Health, Disability Health Network.
Lineup
Trish Tran
Trish Tran is a peer worker and educator living invisible disability. She has survived systems that erased her narrative and problematised her behaviours and knows ableism as death by a thousand cuts. Her message: stronger systems begin with no wrong way to have a body or mind.
Hanna Zurub
Lived experience leader with a hidden disability and extensive experience developing and embedding the peer workforce across complex mental health services. A driving force behind organisational change, creating designated lived experience roles and ensuring lived experience perspectives are embedded in service development.
Jeff McDonald
Workforce and organisational development professional with extensive experience in cultural change and inclusion initiatives across complex public and private sector organisations. Recognised for a collaborative approach, developing leaders, and delivering practical, people-focused solutions that strengthen workplaces and improve outcomes for employees and communities.
Sue Flindell
Sue Flindell is a Senior Workforce Strategy Consultant with over 30 years’ experience in WA Health and is passionate about creating inclusive, equitable workplaces that empower people, strengthen workplace culture and drive positive change.
FAQs
- Will the event be accessible for people with disability?
South Metropolitan Health Service and the Department of Health are supporters of the Hidden Disability Sunflower.
We try to make our events as accessible as possible.
This event will have:
Auslan interpreters
Live captioning
A sensory regulation space for people attending in-person
We welcome people who have assistance animals
You can bring your support worker or person if needed
You can let us know of any other adjustments you might need in the short questionnaire after registration. We try our best to accommodate everyone, but sometimes different people's needs will clash. If this happens, we do our best to contact you and find a solution that can work for everyone.
If you want to talk to someone about your needs, you can email the Disability Health Network at healthpolicy@health.wa.gov.au.
- Can I come if I don't work for South Metropolitan Health Service?
Absolutely! The event is open to everyone including WA Health staff, people with disability, community members, and people who work for other agencies and organisations.
- Will the event be recorded?
Yes, the event will be recorded! Register for the event and select "Event recording only". You will be added to a list and sent the recording post event.
- Can I join online?
Yes, the event will be accessible online via MS Teams. A link will be sent to your email address closer to the event date.
- Parking and how to get there?
Parking and how to get there information is available here. You can also find this information on your order confirmation email, by clicking "Event Info Accessibility", just under the QR code.
- Is there someone I can contact?
For any queries or questions about the event, please feel free to contact healthpolicy@health.wa.gov.au or 9222 0200.
- Will this event be photographed?
Yes, at the end of the event a group photo will be taken of the people attending in person. You do not have to participate if you do not wish to and you will be given time to leave the auditorium before the photo is taken.
Tickets for good, not greed Humanitix dedicates 100% of profits from booking fees to charity