http://www.SpeakersBank.org.au/

Speakers Bank, Werribee (2025)

11/04/2025

Applications for Speakers Bank's Community Content Project are now closed.

Thank you to all who applied. It's exciting to see so many people interested in the program!

We are in the process of selecting participants and will be in contact soon.

If you'd like to be notified about future opportunities, get in contact with us.

📱 Message us on our social media channels
📧 Email speakersbank@annecto.org.au
👉 Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn

16/03/2025

Are you a person with disability in Melbourne who wants to create digital content?
Speakers Bank is launching a Community Content Project, with support from Annecto and the Maribyrnong City Council! This is your chance to:

🎥 Learn how to create digital content
🎤 Share your story and advocate for inclusion
🤝 Work with other creatives with disability and get support from industry professionals

📅 Workshops start: May 2025 in Yarraville, VIC
🎬 Video launch: October 2025
✅ Who can join?
✔️ People with lived experience of disability (18+)
✔️ No experience needed – just creativity and enthusiasm!

📌 Apply now! Spots are limited. https://bit.ly/community-content-project

Questions? Email us at speakersbank@annecto.org.au

02/01/2025

📣 Meet the speakers – Introducing Rhys Renwick! 📢

A musician and visual artist, Rhys is involved in raising money and awareness for accessibility across Melbourne’s live music venues.

His organisation Everybody Rocks recently hosted a line-up of artists with disability at Brunswick Music Festival and helped raise $30,000 to create an accessible performance stage at a local music venue.

Through Everybody Rocks, Rhys hosts a weekly music program for people with disability experiencing housing insecurity. He also consults with live music venues to improve their accessibility.

Rhys has a rare, hereditary muscle condition called Bethlem Myopathy, a mostly invisible disability which affects his mobility and strength. Many members of Rhys’s family also have the condition, which has given him the unique perspective of growing up in an environment where having a disability is normal.

Rhys’ areas of experience:

- Accessibility in live music and art spaces
- Bethlem Myopathy
- Non-visible disability
- Disability and financial insecurity
- Experience as a musician and artist living with disability

🔗 To learn more about Rhys or to enquire about his availability, visit our website at speakersbank.org.au or email us today at speakersbank@annecto.org.au

01/01/2025

Happy New Year from Speakers Bank! 🎉

We wish you all the best for 2025 and hope you have a happy and healthy year ahead.

Last year was a huge year at Speakers Bank and we are so excited to continue showcasing the work that we do in public speaking, storytelling and advocacy!

Enjoy your festivities with your friends, family and community. 💙

26/12/2024

📣 Meet the speakers – Introducing Adua Merola! 📣

At four years old, Adua boarded at St. Paul’s School for the Blind, an experience that she credits with fostering independence and confidence despite a strict upbringing. As she got older, Adua convinced her parents that she needed to get out and experience the world and has gone on to approach life with a sense of adventure.

Adua is an active member of two committees with Merri-bek City Council, advocating for vision-impaired individuals. Her efforts have led to significant improvements in local infrastructure, such as pedestrian crossings and accessible footpaths.

In 2015, Adua was matched with her guide dog, Zabrina, who not only keeps her safe but also participates in pet therapy at the aged care facility where Adua works, bringing joy to residents. Zabrina’s caring nature and adaptability make her an indispensable companion. Adua and Zabrina have a strong bond and even enjoy activities like canoeing together.

Adua’s passions are public speaking and community-based volunteer and charity work. She continues to be a voice for the vision-impaired community, striving to create a more inclusive and accessible world.

Adua's areas of experience:

- Vision impairment
- Accessible infrastructure
- Community participation and advocacy
- Sport and leisure for people with disability
- Guide dogs

🔗 To learn more about Adua or to enquire about her availability, visit our website at speakersbank.org.au or email us today at speakersbank@annecto.org.au

25/12/2024

✨ We wish everyone a happy and safe festive season!

We hope you enjoy this time with your friends, family and community. 💙

Thank you for being a part of a huge year at Speakers Bank! We look forward to showcasing even more of the work that we do in public speaking, storytelling and advocacy with you in 2025!

19/12/2024

📢 Meet the speakers – Introducing Storm Robbins! 📢

Storm is an award-winning public speaker and has been a dedicated disability advocate since childhood.

Born in Thailand and diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy, Storm moved to Australia with his parents when he was two years old to have better access to health services and support.

He had eight operations at the Royal Children’s Hospital, and at 13 years old became an ambassador for their Good Friday Appeal.

Storm’s experience of bullying at school led him to stand up for himself and others by increasing awareness about disability and accessibility.

In Grade 6, Storm became Vice School Captain and was presented with his captain’s badge by former Prime Minister Julia Gillard. He has been speaking out against stereotyping, stigma and social isolation ever since.

Storm’s long-standing involvement with Wyndham City Council and the Wyndham Disability Action Group (WYNDAG) has seen him speak at their International Day of People with Disability events and Disability Awareness Training workshops.

Storm’s skill as a public speaker has been enhanced through many years of involvement with Speakers Bank and Toastmasters.

Storm's areas of experience:

- Cerebral palsy
- Social inclusion
- Bullying
- Physical accessibility
- Leadership
- Employment access and barriers
- Stigma and stereotyping

🔗 To learn more about Storm or to enquire about his availability, visit our website at speakersbank.org.au or email us today at speakersbank@annecto.org.au

12/12/2024

📢 Meet the speakers – Introducing Riki Domagalski! 📢

Riki is an open and animated speaker and committed advocate. She has been a member of Speakers Bank for over a decade. She has worked as a mentor to participants of the Social Impact dating program for people with disability and provided peer support at Yooralla. She has also been associated with Women with Disabilities Victoria, Australians for Disability Diversity Employment, Vision Australia and the State Advisory Committee of Blind Citizens Australia.

🎥 She also worked with Grit Media as a presenter, producer and crew member on the award winning Channel 31 series ‘No Limits’.

Due to a birth injury, Riki has lived with vision and cognitive impairment all her life. When she was 18 years old, Riki was also diagnosed with a chromosomal condition called Turner Syndrome.

Riki thrives on connecting with audiences, speaking candidly and raising awareness about the challenges faced by people with disability, addressing topics such as relationships, mental health, employment, finances, independent living and navigating disability services.

Riki's areas of expertise in public speaking:
- Vision impairment
- Cognitive impairment
- Turner Syndrome
- Anxiety and depression
- Employment access and barriers
- Relationships
- Independent living
- Community participation

🔗 To learn more about Riki or to enquire about her availability, visit our website at speakersbank.org.au or email us today at speakersbank@annecto.org.au

21/11/2024

📣 Meet the speakers – Introducing Paul Fink! 📣

Paul has been a public speaker for five years, sharing his experience on podcasts and with many organisations, including hospitals, universities, schools, businesses and sports clubs.

🧠 When he was 34, Paul suffered a severe stroke that affected his speech, movement and cognitive abilities. After the stroke, he was in a coma for weeks, underwent multiple brain surgeries and spent many months in full-time rehabilitation.

🎙️ Paul also writes a blog to raise awareness and benefit other stroke survivors, and hosts a podcast, Stroke of Luck, in which he interviews people about how they have overcome adversity.

Paul's areas of expertise in public speaking:
• Stroke survival and recovery
• Aphasia
• Cognitive disability
• Acquired Brain Injury (ABI)
• Parenting with disability
• Sport/physical activity and disability
• Volunteering and community involvement
• Employment access and barriers

🔗 To learn more about Paul or to enquire about his availabilities, visit our website at speakersbank.org.au or email us today at speakersbank@annecto.org.au

26/10/2024

🎉 To celebrate Invisible Disabilities Week 2024, our speaker Kerryn Burgoyne answered some of our questions about her own experience living with an invisible disability.

Kerryn was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) when she was 30 years old. Today, she is a passionate ASD advocate, who enjoys sharing her story with the world.

💬 “People don’t believe I’ve got a disability,” Kerryn shares. “The good old sayings: ‘Step out of your shoes into mine’ and ‘Don't judge a book by its cover’, are just two of the mottos that I live by!”

She likes to encourage people who also have invisible disabilities to stay motivated and to believe in themselves.

💬 “You are not alone,” Kerryn says.

💡 The term ‘invisible or hidden disabilities’ refers to symptoms such as pain, fatigue, cognitive impairments, brain injuries, learning differences, mental health issues, or hearing or vision impairments for example. While these may not always be obvious to others, they will impact the life of the individual regardless. Just because you can’t see it, doesn’t mean it is not there!

🔗 Get in touch with us and book a speaker for your next event to spread awareness about invisible disabilities! Visit our website at speakersbank.org.au

24/10/2024

🎉 From 20 to 26 October, we are celebrating Invisible Disabilities Week. The week aims to promote awareness, education, stories, support, and resources about invisible and hidden disabilities.

In Australia, 4.4 million people live with a disability, it is estimated that 80% of these individuals have an invisible disability.

In the following weeks, we’ll be sharing interviews with some of our speakers about their experiences living with invisible disabilities.

💡 The term ‘invisible or hidden disabilities’ refers to symptoms such as pain, fatigue, cognitive impairments, brain injuries, learning differences, mental health issues, or hearing or vision impairments for example. While these may not always be obvious to others, they will impact the life of the individual regardless. Just because you can’t see it, it doesn’t mean it is not there!

🔗 Get in touch with us and book a speaker for your next event to spread awareness about invisible disabilities! Visit our website at speakersbank.org.au

13/10/2024

📣 Meet the speakers – Introducing Kathryn Tomkins! 📣

Kathryn began her involvement with Speakers Bank as a volunteer supporting other speakers. She quickly realised she had a strong interest in becoming a speaker herself. This led to opportunities to speak to the community about her experience of intellectual disability. She also became a regular host of the Speakers Bank podcast alongside Storm Robbins and Nathan Slachter.

Kathryn speaks candidly about her lived experience. She strongly believes in not hiding or being afraid of disability.

Kathryn's areas of expertise in public speaking:
🌻 Intellectual disability
🌻 Invisible disability
🌻 Learning and education
🌻 Employment access and barriers
🌻 Understanding communication differences
🌻 Social inclusion
🌻 Transport accessibility

🔗 To learn more about Kathryn or to enquire about her availabilities, visit our website at speakersbank.org.au or email us today at speakersbank@annecto.org.au

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