If you work with young people living with disability who are affected by violence, you will want to join our SPARK webinar on 'Enhancing Practice at the Intersection of Violence Disability and Youth'. In this webinar, you will learn from three experts who will share their knowledge and insights on this important topic.

Researcher Sally Robinson will present her new practice resource 'Connecting the Dots'. This resource outlines the principles for strengths-based support for children and young people with disability who are experiencing violence.

Associate Professor Georgina Sutherland will discuss her research on adolescent violence in the home involving young people living with disability. Her research report, 'Building a framework to prevent and respond to young people with disability who use violence at home', provides valuable guidance for practitioners.

Disability rights campaigner Elly Desmarchelier, will enhance the discussion with her lived expertise. She will share her insights and experiences on being a disabled woman in modern society and what practitioners need to know to uphold people's rights and support inclusion and wellbeing.

This webinar will help you to enhance your practice and support young people living with disability who are facing violence in their lives. Don't miss this opportunity to learn from these amazing speakers and join the conversation.

This webinar will be streamed live and includes a Q&A session. A recording will also be made available.

Learning Outcomes:

Increased knowledge about recent research about the intersection of youth, disability and violence including practice guidance for implementation.

Event Details

Event Date: Thursday, 12 October 2023
Time: 12:00pm - 1:30pm AEST (Queensland time)
Location: Online

Who should attend

This event is targeted at all levels of the workforce.

About the facilitators

Professor Sally Robinson

Sally Robinson does research with disabled people about what helps them feel safe, well and happy at difficult times in their lives. Most of her work is done in teams that include disabled people as researchers as well as asking them for their views. She also works with governments and organisations about how to listen to the things that matter to disabled people. Sally is Professor of Disability and Community Inclusion at Flinders University.

Associate Professor Georgina Sutherland

Georgina Sutherland is Associate Professor in Disability and Health in the Melbourne School of Population and Global Health at the University of Melbourne. She is Deputy Head of the Disability and Health Unit and leads the Violence and Discrimination work stream. Georgina is an experienced public health researcher with a background in women’s health, public health law, gender equality and violence against women. Georgina current research is focussed on understanding the complex interplay between gender, inequality and experiences of violence. She has extensive skills using mixed methods and co-designed approaches. She works closely with communities and individuals with lived expertise to amplify less heard voices in the co-production and translation of knowledge.

Elly Desmarchelier

Elly Desmarchelier is a proud disabled woman. As a speaker, writer, event facilitator and disability rights advocate, Elly’s fierce advocacy has led her to being the national spokesperson for the Defend our NDIS campaign during the 2022 Federal Election, and speaking at the Prime Minister’s 2022 Jobs and Skills Summit.

From appearing on national TV on shows such as The Project, ABC’s The Drum, Q&A and 7:30, to speaking at the Sydney Opera House for the 2023 All About Women Festival, Elly shares her insights and experiences on being a disabled woman in modern society. Her writing has been featured in national publications such as Sydney Morning Herald, The Guardian and the ABC. She was also a finalist in the Marie Claire’s 2022 Women of the Year Awards.

Fuelling her advocacy, Elly is determined to create change for the 1 in 5 Australians with disability and believes that’s only possible if people with disability have a seat at the table.

Sara Pane B SW (Hons), BA, BFA (Hons)
Pronouns She/Her

Sara’s career as an intersectional feminist practitioner spans 20 years, mostly working within community services responding to sexual and domestic violence. She has practiced in both urban and rural settings in Queensland and Tasmania and has experience working with people of all ages and genders. Sara’s main areas of practice include counselling, case management and group work with survivors of violence and trauma. Areas of special interest include working with people with intellectual disability, young people and children and supporting lived experience contributions to violence prevention work.

Currently Sara is a Disability Royal Commission counsellor and a Listen Up Project worker at WWILD Sexual Violence Prevention Service Inc, based in Meanjin. Within these roles, Sara has the privilege of working alongside people living with intellectual disability in relation to their intersecting experiences of violence and disability.