Having A Say Conference

Last year VALID’s Advocacy in Action conference brought self advocates with intellectual disability to the front of conversations about their lives. Alongside industry experts and policymakers people with lived experience will once again share their experience and expertise on the issues that matter. This year the focus will be squarely on the proposed changes to the NDIS. Guest speaker Maeve Kennedy, CEO of Inclusion Australia will share the National representative organisation’s position on the proposed NDIS changes and how our community can coordinate our concerns and mobilise our impact.

The 2026 Advocacy in Action Conference will be held on June 22 & 23, 2026 from 9.00am to 4.30pm each day at the Novotel Hotel Function Centre. To register, go to Humanitix at: https://events.humanitix.com/advocacy-in-action-conference-2026. There are also huge discounts for NDIS participants and their family members. Please contact the VALID Office for more information. Phone: (03) 9416 4003. Email: [email protected]

ID: Light blue social media tile. VALID logo along the top. Text: “Voices must be heard. The future must include us. WE’RE NOT GOING BACK.” Photo of a self advocate Hala speaking into a microphone at last year’s Advocacy in Action conference. Along the bottom an orange banner with the graphic of a person holding a megaphone. Text: “June 22 and 23. Advocacy in Action Conference 2026. Register Now.”

Stories can change minds. Stories can change communities. Stories can change systems.

When people with intellectual disability share their experiences, they help others understand the barriers they face, the changes they want to see and the importance of inclusion.

VALID Voices is built on a simple idea: people with disability should have opportunities to tell their own stories in their own words.

Join us for VALID Conversations to hear from speakers involved in this exciting new initiative and learn why lived experience matters.

Register here:
https://events.humanitix.com/valid-conversations-2

VALID Conversations: lived experience in action VALID Conversations is a new webinar series led by people with disability.