Side By Side Advocacy

11/06/2026

Our Winter newsletter is out now!

Learn about what the Side By Side Advocacy team have been up to in the last few months! We have been travelling across the state, hosting workshops about communicating confidently, setting up new matches through our Community for Everyone program, and more!

The Connecting with Community event presented by respected international speaker Dr Angela Amado is now next week on 18 June 2026. Tickets are available until Monday 15 June 2026 so register soon if you would like to be part of this terrific opportunity at Parramatta Town Hall! You can find more information about it, and all our other upcoming opportunities, in the newsletter.

You can read the newsletter here: https://mailchi.mp/379f04e569c5/our-winter-newsletter-is-here?e=[UNIQID]

Image descriptions: six people sit and talk around a table at a Speak with Confidence workshop.
The Side By Side Advocacy team at the Sydney Alliance Discernment Convention pose with a wall of post-it notes.
Ryan presents at the Speak with Confidence workshop.

29/05/2026

Do you want to help change the systems that shape the lives of people with disability?

Side By Side Advocacy are hiring a Systemic Advocate to help drive strategic social change work across NSW and support people with intellectual disability to strengthen their leadership, advocacy and influence in systemic reform.

You would work with a team of passionate professionals to influence laws, policies, systems and community attitudes to remove barriers and advance inclusion, rights and self-determination. As a specialist disability advocacy organisation, you will join a skilled and collaborative team and receive ongoing professional development, supervision, and support.

This is an opportunity to contribute to high-impact advocacy in partnership with people with intellectual disability, government, community organisations and sector allies. The role will suit someone with strong policy, advocacy and relationship-building skills who is committed to disability rights and social justice.

In a time of uncertainty in the disability sector, it is more important than ever to have skilled and experienced people contributing to systemic change.

Learn more about the role on our Ethical Jobs listing: https://www.ethicaljobs.com.au/members/sbsa/systemic-advocate

Find our more about us on our website: https://sidebysideadvocacy.org.au/

Image description: two women sit on a bench by a river. They are talking and smiling.

19/05/2026

Many people with intellectual disability experience profound isolation. You can be a part of a worldwide movement committed to more inclusive communities.

Side By Side Advocacy is excited to be hosting respected international expert Dr Angela Amado at Parramatta Town Hall on 18 June 2026 as part of her national tour.

This full-day workshop brings together community members, policy makers, service providers, people with lived experience, families and other allies, to explore practical approaches to strengthening communities and relationships. The day offers opportunities for shared learning, reflection, and connection with others committed to inclusive communities.

With only one month left before the workshop, we are looking forward to seeing you there.

Tickets to the workshop in Parramatta are available via Humanitix: https://events.humanitix.com/connecting-with-community-with-angela-amado

The workshop is being held across the country:
· Newcastle: 16 June with Hunter Circles: https://events.humanitix.com/connecting-with-community
· Parramatta: 18 June with Side By Side Advocacy
· Brisbane: 23 June with CRU - Community Resource Unit Ltd.: https://events.humanitix.com/building-friendships-and-connections-06-26
· Canberra: 25 June with Imagine More: https://imaginemore.org.au/events/building-friendships/
· Adelaide: 27 June with Community Living Project Inc.: https://events.humanitix.com/connecting-with-community-a-workshop-with-dr-angela-amado
· Melbourne: 30 June with Belonging Matters Inc.: https://events.humanitix.com/building-friendships-and-connections-in-everyday-community-life

Image description: A purple graphic titled 'Connecting with Community: Dr Angela Amado national tour". It lists the dates for each stop on the tour and has a QR code for Side By Side Advocacy's event booking page. There is a photo of Angela Amado smiling.

18/05/2026

12/05/2026

Confident communication can open many doors.

Our monthly Speak with Confidence workshop is designed to offer opportunities for people with intellectual disability to learn from each other to build on their skills and confidence.

We had our first workshop last week. People in the group shared their preferred communication style and level of experience.

The foundation of many important interactions are confident introductions, so the group started there. Attendees came away with practical tips to introduce themselves in different contexts.

Our next workshop is about starting conversations to achieve a goal. Attendees will discuss different ways to prepare to speak up about their needs and learn tips and tricks to start planned conversations.

People of all skill levels, communication styles and experience are welcome.

People can join for one month, come to a few workshops or come to all the workshops!

Are you, or someone you know, interested in joining? Our in-person workshop will be from 10am-12pm on 5 June.

If you cannot attend in person, we will host an online workshop in the same week.

To register to attend in-person or to express interest in attending online, contact Nicola: [email protected]

Learn more about our work on our website: https://sidebysideadvocacy.org.au/

05/05/2026

Inclusion is not just about who is in a meeting; it is about how people can make themselves heard.

Our Advisory Group puts our commitment to Inclusive Governance into action. In our monthly meetings, Advisory Group members share their insights as people with intellectual disability and build experience in a board-like setting.

The group discussed upcoming funding opportunities and their thoughts about the kind of additional initiatives that would make them better informed, more confident to speak up, and better included in community.

The Advisory Group has been getting to know some of our board members better, and vice versa. Board members Marian and Vicki recently joined the group to share what being on the board involves, answer questions, and hear directly from Advisory Group members. Vicki shared a personal story of advocacy in action.

We also trialled a system that was shared with us at a recent Inclusive Governance Community of Practice meeting: cards and flags that make communication clearer. Meeting participants now use the cards and flags to share if they agree or disagree with an idea or want to take a break. Introducing this system made sure everyone’s opinions were shared and acknowledged.

We value the insights and openness of our Advisory Group that will help us shape our work. We look forward to next month’s meeting.

You can learn more about inclusive governance and find ideas for including the voices of people with intellectual disability on our website: https://sidebysideadvocacy.org.au/inclusive-governance-2/

01/05/2026

Do you want to be part of an international effort striving for more inclusive communities? Join us on 7 May, 3-5pm, to learn more about Community for Everyone.

We will be discussing the life experience of many people with intellectual disability, reflect, share stories, tools, and connections, build local knowledge, and learn from each other. We will hear from peer leaders Jeff Lai and Shu Hua Chan.

Community For Everyone connects profoundly isolated people with intellectual disability in the Parramatta and Ryde areas with volunteer social connectors, fostering meaningful connections and genuine community participation.

You can join face to face or via Zoom.

It would be great if you could let us know you are coming by contacting Evelyn: [email protected]

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

Hunter Circles is building connections in the Newcastle area: https://www.huntercircles.org/community/

23/04/2026

We would love you to join us for Connecting with Community with Dr Angela Amado.

Connecting with Community is an event for anyone wanting practical strategies to support friendships and community connection for people with intellectual disability.

Dr Amado has over 40 years’ experience supporting people with intellectual disability to build relationship and will be coming to Australia and presenting at Parramatta Town Hall on 18 June 2026.

You will leave with practical strategies to support friendships and community connection for people with intellectual disability.

This is a terrific opportunity to learn from a recognised world leader and from each other.

Tickets are available via Humanitix: https://events.humanitix.com/connecting-with-community-with-angela-amado

The event is hosted as part of Community for Everyone - working one person at a time to support connection, belonging, and community life.

Who should come
Community members
Be part of real relationships — and learn how to be an ally in your community
Service providers, support workers, support coordinators
Build practical skills to support real connection — not just activities
NDIS Planners and Local Area Coordinators (LACs)
Understand what it takes to support inclusion beyond funded supports – and how this can influence planning and outcomes
Government staff
You help shape the places where community happens — learn practical ways to support connection, inclusion, and belonging in everyday community life
Leaders and managers
Shape practice and systems that support relationships and belonging
People with intellectual disability and family members
Explore ways to build friendships, networks and community life

Hunter Circles are running a similar event in Newcastle on 16 June.

Dr Amado will also be presenting in Brisbane, Canberra and Melbourne.

We look forward to seeing you in Parramatta!

23/04/2026

We're so pleased to be hosting Angela Amado in Newcastle this June.

Angela is an internationally recognised leader who has spent over 40 years working on how real relationships grow between people with intellectual disability and community members.

Not relationships based on support or service — but mutual, human relationships where people know each other, share life, and belong.

It feels pretty special to be bringing her out to Australia — and to have the chance to learn directly from her in a small, practical setting.

Because even now, many people can be in the community without being connected — without friendships, being known, or a real sense of belonging.

This workshop is about what it takes to build those kinds of relationships in practice.

Tuesday 16 June
Newcastle Museum

Please register: https://events.humanitix.com/connecting-with-community

Hunter Circles Inc and Side By Side Advocacy are hosting this event as part of our "Community For Everyone" project.

Side By Side Advocacy will also be hosting the workshop in Sydney on 18 June, with further events planned across Brisbane, Canberra and Melbourne - stay tuned for more details.

We’d love your help to get this out to people who care about building connection and community. Please share with your networks.

Image description: Banner that says, "Connecting with Community - Workshop with Angela Amado, 16 June, Newcastle". Includes a photo of Angela Amado, alongside two images with a person with intellectual disability and a community member together — one at ukelele group and one at a parkrun.

17/04/2026

“Repairing is not just fixing a problem. It’s a chance to talk about what can be done differently and find solutions together.”

Today, Side By Side Advocacy staff members Evelyn, Lil, Sophia, and Nicola attended Flinders University’s launch event for the Working Together: Preventing Everyday Harm project resources. The event was delivered by Professor Sally Robinson, Tyra Buteux, Hannah Zsigoszki, and Eleanor Watson.

We heard about how important it is to notice everyday harm to people with disability, acknowledge its impact, respond to it, repair the harm, and make things better into the future. The team shared the many co-designed resources they developed over the course of the project, including videos, training packs, Plain English summaries of their research, posters, and even a board game that we got to play. These resources are designed to make it easier to recognise everyday harm and increase confidence in remedying it.

It was great to hear from the Flinders University team. If you are interested in using their suite of resources, you can find them on their website: https://everydayharm.org.au/