Side By Side Advocacy

13/10/2026

Today, Side By Side Advocacy attended Parliament House for an important conversation about turning disability rights into action.

Twenty years on from the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, people with intellectual disability still face barriers to inclusive education and meaningful employment.

Everyone should have the opportunity to learn, contribute, build skills and find their place in the community.

Many people with intellectual disability miss out on these ordinary opportunities.

Thank you to Family Advocacy for hosting this important forum. You can check out their campaign here:https://family-advocacy.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/NSW-Election-2027-Campaign-Briefing-Paper-final2026.pdf

Image description: Four people in business attire stand and pose for a photo in a room filled with books. There is the NSW Parliament logo on a screen between them. There is a globe behind the screen.

08/10/2026

What can we do to make a difference?

Yesterday, Side By Side Advocacy presented at Western Sydney University to the student cohort from Sydney Alliance about social isolation and community connection. We spoke about how meaningful community is for everyone, including profoundly isolated people with intellectual disability. Students had the chance to learn about the history of disability, and to reflect on the role that community plays in their own lives. It was great to hear from a group of young people that are passionate about creating change.

Inclusion is important in all parts of community, and not just as an afterthought. Understanding the harm of social isolation and the benefit of connection can change how you approach community-building, friendship, participation in organisations, and more.

Do you want to learn more about the importance of community connection?

You can reach out to us to find out how you can be a part of what we do, or what we can do with your organisation. Contact us at [email protected] or 9808 5500.

You can find out more about what we do on our website: https://sidebysideadvocacy.org.au/

Image descriptions:

1. A room full of students sitting around tables. They are watching a video on a screen at the front of the room. Some are taking notes.

2. Someone's hand while they fill out a worksheet on a desk. The worksheet has circles on it that they are writing in.

3. A woman, Kim, is presenting. She stands in front of a wall of photos from Community for Everyone, where people are smiling and posing.

01/10/2026

"I believe in the rights of people with disabilities and to feel like my voice is being heard. That's why I wanted to become a member" — Sarah, one of Side By Side Advocacy's members

On Friday, we held a Member Meet Up for the members of Side By Side Advocacy. We welcomed our first life member, George, our newest member, Jack, as well as many members who play important roles in the organisation, including the Advisory Group and the Board.

Attendees networked, heard what is happening at Side By Side Advocacy, shared their thoughts about issues that matter and had a good time!

We started with speed-chatting to get conversations started!

It was great to see so many of our members connecting and sharing why Side By Side Advocacy's Vision, Purpose, and Values matter to them.

To learn more about what guides our work, visit our website: https://sidebysideadvocacy.org.au/

Image descriptions:

1. A man in a wheelchair smiles. He is sitting in a group of people.

2. People who are sitting in rows smile at something at the front of the room. There are seven people in the photo.

3. A group of people talk. One person is holding a folder with some printed photos. The people are looking at a man while he talks about the photos.

4. A woman stands in front of a screen and speaks with a microphone. There are people sitting down and listening to her. On the screen, it says "Our Board" with a group photo below.

5. A woman and a man sit at a table and smile at each other. The man is filling out a form. Their name tags say Kim and Matthew.

29/09/2026

"You just need someone to listen to you and talk about it first. And then you can do it yourself."

Carole, a member of our Advisory Group and a long-time part of the Side By Side Advocacy community, sat down recently with Council for Intellectual Disability, as well as Senior Advocate Cathy Milne and Systemic Advocate James Cox to talk about supported decision making. Afterwards, Carole shared her thoughts with us, too.

"On Friday, we talked to CID... that went really well. They asked the questions, and I answered them. I told them that sometimes, you can ask for help. I know that with Cathy, we'll talk about it, but then she leads me to do it, and I call her back and tell her I've done it. It can be helpful if you've got to call to talk to NDIS, or public Trustee, Centrelink, and doctors."

"Advocacy is fantastic. There’re not really enough advocates in Australia — we need more advocates. Without an advocate, I wouldn’t be where I am now. I’ve done many good things with the help of Side By Side. I feel confident now in speaking up to whoever I’ve got to speak to."

Side By Side Advocacy supports people with intellectual disability to build their self-advocacy skills and have their voices heard. One way we do this is through our Speak with Confidence workshops.

If you know someone with intellectual disability who would like to get involved, we would love to hear from them.

To learn more about our workshops and advocacy work, visit our website: https://sidebysideadvocacy.org.au/

Image description: two women sit next to each other and look at each other. They are being filmed by cameras. They are in a house.

23/09/2026

What if we stopped accepting social isolation as inevitable?

Side By Side Advocacy joined the 2026 NSW Community Alliance Launch Day at Parliament House.

We had the opportunity to speak with Donna Davis MP and Monica Tudehope MP about social isolation.

We shared that for some people with intellectual disability, social isolation is profound. They may spend much of their lives surrounded by people in paid roles, while having very few relationships that belong to them.

This isn't simply about having something to do.

It's about having people who know you, people who notice when you are not there, people you can laugh with, people who value what you bring—and having a genuine place in your community.

And this is where we need more people to get involved.

If you care deeply about social justice and want to do something that makes a difference, we invite you to get in touch.

You might bring an interest, a skill, knowledge of your local community, professional experience, curiosity—or simply a willingness to get to know someone you might never otherwise have met.

Through Side By Side's Citizen Advocacy and Community for Everyone programs, we are working to build enduring relationships, strengthen community connections and create communities where people with intellectual disability are known, welcomed and valued.

You can find out more via the links below or contact us at: [email protected]

Learn more about Citizen Advocacy: https://sidebysideadvocacy.org.au/citizen-advocacy/

Learn more about Community for Everyone: https://sidebysideadvocacy.org.au/community-for-everyone/

Image descriptions:

1. Six people pose for a photo and smile. One of them is MP Donna Davis. They hold a sign that says "For the Common Good 2027".

2. Seven people pose for a photo and smile. One of them is MP Monica Tudehope. They hold a sign that says "For the common good, 2027."

3. A hall full of people sitting around tables listening to a speaker on a podium.

22/09/2026

Community for Everyone is an initiative of Side By Side Advocacy and Hunter Circles that supports people to form enduring, reciprocal relationships.

Community for Everyone connects profoundly isolated people with intellectual disability with volunteer Social Connectors who foster meaningful connections and genuine community participation.

At our monthly meet ups, we hear about what people have done, learn strategies for building connection, and learn from peer leaders like Jeff Lai.

Get in touch if you want to learn from Jeff and other peer leaders and be part of a global movement striving for community inclusion.

Contact Evelyn to get involved at [email protected]

Learn more about Community for Everyone on our website: https://sidebysideadvocacy.org.au/community-for-everyone/

Image description: a photo of a man speaking at a lectern. There is a quote next to the photo of him: "I have personal experience of the topics we are talking about in Community for Everyone and that's important. But what I do is more than just share my story. I am also an advocate for human rights. Jeff Lai, Peer Leader, Community for Everyone"

15/09/2026

"Ever since being introduced to Alma my life has really changed in such a positive way." — Carole, a participant of Community for Everyone

In this video, Carole and Alma talk about what they do together and why being a part of Community for Everyone is so meaningful to them.

Community for Everyone matches isolated people with intellectual disability to Social Connectors who support them to do the things they want and build connections and belonging in their local area. Carole and Alma were matched last year, and their connection has changed both of their lives.

"I think it's more about the connection than the activity itself," Alma says. "Those activities are Carole's goals, but it's not the same just performing those things by herself. It's always better together."

Do you want to know more about Community for Everyone? Check out our website: https://sidebysideadvocacy.org.au/community-for-everyone/

08/09/2026

Our Spring Side By Side newsletter is here!

Learn more about what the Side By Side Advocacy team has been doing over the last few months. We have been listening to people with intellectual disability across the state, hosting workshops, and making plans for big things to come. The newsletter features upcoming events, helpful news items and resources, and an interview with Sophia, one of our team members.

You can read the newsletter here: https://mailchi.mp/sidebysideadvocacy/our-spring-newsletter-is-here-17478196

To subscribe to the Side By Side newsletter and to stay up to date with what we do, visit out website: https://sidebysideadvocacy.org.au/

Image descriptions:
1. Ryan smiles while he presents a workshop in front of a screen with a slide on it. He is inside in front of a large window.

2. Kate Washington, Donna Davis, and Kim Roots stand and smile while holding a sign that says Speak Up! For Independent Advocacy. They are in the Side By Side Advocacy office.

3. Michelle smiles while holding up a copy of the Speaking Up Together newsletter.

4. A meeting in a boardroom. There are people sitting around a table and one person on screen. They are taking a vote by raising their hands.

5. A group of people sit around a table in a boardroom and smile for the camera. On the screen, it says “Understanding relationships.”

25/08/2026

“We think every voice counts” – Ryan Boyle, who was one of the editors of the first Speaking Up Together newsletter.

Today, the first edition of Speaking Up Together, our new newsletter by people with intellectual disability, for people with intellectual disability, was published. Anna and Ryan edited the newsletter. The name, logo, and colour scheme were decided by a group of people with disability in our community.

In the newsletter, people with intellectual disability shared things that are important to them. Carole wrote about what an advocate is, Michelle shared her experience at NSW Parliament House, and Ryan gave some tips on communicating confidently. The newsletter includes writing and videos. The newsletter also includes information about upcoming events where people can learn more about advocating for themselves and about Side By Side Advocacy and our community.

We look forward to working with more people with intellectual disability across the state and to sharing what they tell us matters.

You can read the Spring 2026 Speaking Up Together newsletter here: https://mailchi.mp/ce8e789a838a/join-us-for-a-workshop-with-international-speaker-dr-angela-amado-17477947?e=f2dd84f2b8

Do you or someone you know, want to get our Speaking Up Together newsletter, online or in print?

You can subscribe here: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=ELCsbtc8SUyR1iiKPRZJL2diP5eSYiNPtwbx9Lt9zYJURDg5RjBOSFpTN0tEVDROV0M3SUw2SUZOTC4u

Do you, or someone you know with intellectual disability, want to help make the newsletter? Contact us to find out more.

25/08/2026