Max Jones - Supporting Advocacy: When Lived Experience Drives Change

Recently, I had the pleasure of supporting an individual who is a strong advocate for the rights of individuals with disabilities. Being both a support worker and recipient of support themselves, this individual has had lived experience of the strenuous process involved in navigating the NDIS, an aspect only to be heightened through the imposition of the new legislative reforms beginning in July 2026. 

Through their active and ongoing role within the community, notably their prominence within the “Disabled People Against Cuts” campaign launched in 2010, I came to learn that this participant was willing to go to great lengths to protect both their own rights and that of disadvantaged individuals around the country. Having attended a post-budget press conference in Parliament House only a few days prior to our session, it became clear that this individuals advocacy went well beyond simply just being another number in the community. The conference gained significant media attention, showcasing just how much these cuts will affect those not only with the potential to gain access to the NDIS, but also individuals already on the scheme. 

In our session we began completing a survey which addressed the (many) flaws to each aspect of these new legislative reforms and why they should not be put through. Having gained some personal experience in both admin and advocacy work in the past, alongside the participant’s extensive knowledge on the topic we were able to formulate well rounded and compelling answers to each of the relevant sections. When reading over our responses, I was satisfied that our reasoning would in fact be able to create meaningful change if it were to reach the right audience – a feeling I believe this participant was very familiar with.

This session was successful in a way unique to any other supports I have provided before. It was not only a step towards creating impactful change, but also an opportunity to do so in a field that is deeply significant to both me and the participant – as well as to millions of Australians experiencing similar hardship. I look forward to completing sessions similar to this in the future, and the experience has made me all the more aware to the ongoing battles fought by disadvantaged peoples around the world in return for the most basic necessities.