Studies show that LGBT people with disability experience harassment, verbal abuse, physical violence, neglect and sexual assault at higher rates than LGBT people without disability.
LGBTQ people with disability commonly report feeling isolated and ostracised from both the LGBTQ and disability communities.
So, how do we begin to address these issues?
We are excited to be welcoming key LGBTQ+ Disability Advocates, including EMILY UNITY, WILLIAM WARD BOAS and AMBERLY HENSEN to explore your questions, including:
• What Is LGBTQ+ Disability Advocacy and why is it important?
• What are some of the barriers this advocacy tries to overcome?
• How Does LGBTQ+ Disability Advocacy relate to the Mental health system and suicide prevention?
• How Are LGBTQ+ Disability Advocates creating change in mental health systems and suicide prevention?
• Can connecting with our community help us break down the barriers we face?
When? Tuesday, 1st October at 1:00 - 2:00 pm (AEST)
Register? PLEASE REGISTER VIA ZOOM HERE
We welcome you to join us for a conversation with...
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Emily Unity (they/them) |
Emily Unity (they/them) is an award-winning mental health advocate, software engineer, and creative designer. They are passionate about creating change through disrupting traditional systems and amplifying intersectional voices. Emily is informed by their intersectional lived and living experiences. This includes mental ill-health, disability, LGBTQIA+, multiculturalism, neurodivergence, homelessness, family violence, and more. For their work, Emily was recently awarded 25 Under 25, 30 Under 30, Mental Health Advocate of the Year, Youth of the Year, the Disability Leadership Award, Innovation in Protecting Children Award, Children and Youth Empowerment Award, and inducted in the inaugural cohort of the Multicultural Honor Roll. |
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William Ward Boas (he/him) |
William Ward-Boas (he/him) is a person with disability that started working in the disability sector 6 years ago. William uses his experience to support broader understanding of the disability sector and to empower the voices and rights of others. He started this journey through meeting VALID, participating in paid workshops, then being connected onto the Disability Services Commissioner, and working with them as a community researcher for the “Safe and Respectful Cultures in the Workplace” Project. He then went on to YDAS for the “Youth Leadership Program”, went on to do an evaluation with a consultation service called ARTDConsultants. William loves this work and plans to stay in this sector for the rest of his life. |
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Amberly Hensen (she/her) |
Amberly Hensen (she/her) is a gender diverse and neurodivergent consumer advocate. Her work strives for better mental health supports for LGBTIQA+ neurodivergent and disabled consumers. She is currently a member of the Peer Expert Advisory Group for the MindOut mental health and suicide prevention program at LGBTIQ+ Health Australia and a member of Stonnington Councils LGBTIQA Advisory board. Through lived experience, Amberly understands the mental health impacts of marginalization and aims to uplift intersectional communities wherever possible. |
