Donate

Disability rights: How is Australia faring?

Time and date
12 - 1 pm, Wednesday 25 March, 2020
Location
Yasuko Hiraoka Myer Room, Sidney Myer Asia Centre (Building 158), University of Melbourne Please enter off Swanston Street – between Faraday and Lynch Streets

Australia’s Disability Discrimination Commissioner Dr Ben Gauntlett in conversation with the BSL’s Director of NDIS Services Rodney Weston.

The Research & Policy Centre at the Brotherhood of St. Laurence together with the Melbourne Disability Institute are delighted to invite you to our lunchtime forum.

Dr Gauntlett and Mr Weston will explore what disability rights looks like in contemporary Australia, what we can do about it, and key opportunities flowing from the upcoming refresh of the National Disability Strategy.

The speakers will be introduced by Academic Director of the Melbourne Disability Institute, and Director and Lead Investigator of the Centre of Research Excellence in Disability and Health Professor Anne Kavanagh.

Please feel welcome to stay and chat over lunch afterwards.

Speaker profiles

Dr. Ben Gauntlett

A man with short brain hair and a beard faces the camera while wearing a suit and tie.
Dr. Ben Gauntlett

Ben was appointed Disability Discrimination Commissioner at the Australian Human Rights Commission on 7 May 2019. In this role, he has presented at the United Nations in Geneva and New York on human rights issues concerning Australia.

Ben previously worked as a barrister in Western Australia and Victoria, an associate to High Court Justice Kenneth Hayne AC, as Counsel assisting the Commonwealth Solicitor-General.

Holding multiple degrees in Law and Commerce, he has taught Law in Australia and the United Kingdom and is a Rhodes Scholar.

Mr. Rodney Weston

A main with short hair who wears a blue Oxford shirt faces the camera.
Mr. Rodney Weston

Rodney founded BSL’s NDIS Local Area Coordination (LAC) service in North East Melbourne in 2016. Since the LAC has expanded to the North, South-East and West areas of Melbourne.

Rodney joined BSL in 2011 where he has led the Social Enterprises division, been General Manager of Business Development and now leads NDIS services.

Before joining BSL, Rodney worked at IBM, AMP, Optus and the ASX. He also co-founded an online stock market information provider.

Rodney has a Bachelor of Science and Mathematics in Business Information Technology, is an Associate with CPA Australia and serves on the boards of three community organisations.

RSVP and questions

All welcome at this accessible venue – please advise of any adjustments to support attendance. Reply for seating & catering purposes to Jane Douglas jdouglas@bsl.org.au or (03) 9483 1364

BSL Talks podcast

We also invite you to enjoy our new BSL Talks podcast , drawn from our RPC seminar series.
You may also listen on Apple Podcasts , Soundcloud or Spotify.

Print

Share