Disability Rights Connect
Disability Rights Connect is a consultancy advising on policy and legal reform to achieve positive, lasting change for people with disability and their support networks.
Our mission
At Disability Rights Connect we are driven to turn disability rights into a reality. We understand firsthand the disconnect between the goals of social policy reform and the everyday experiences of people with disability and their support networks.
Our mission is to bridge that gap through meaningful connection – ensuring the voices of those directly impacted by barriers to inclusion are at the heart of designing effective solutions.
Meet Emily
Emily Cukalevski founded Disability Rights Connect to drive change and create a more inclusive future for people with disability.
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She has a LLM in International Disability Law and Policy and extensive experience working with the Disability Royal Commission, the Australian Human Rights Commission and the UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. This has provided invaluable insights into reforming laws, policies and funding mechanisms to embed human rights. Her expertise spans a wide range of disability policy issues, with a particular interest in inclusive education and supported decision-making.
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Disability has always been part of Emily's life. First as a sister and recently as a parent. She is a proud mum of two young children – a spirited preschooler and a cheeky toddler who happens to have a complex disability. She understands the challenges families face in accessing the necessary supports for their children to thrive. Her experience navigating complex health, disability and education systems has highlighted the critical need for a more human-rights based approach. Key to this is ensuring people with disability, including young children with disability and their families, are genuinely connected to the processes shaping systemic reform. ​
She is committed to empowering parents new to the world of disability with the knowledge, support and connections needed to influence the reforms that will shape the future of their little ones.
Our Expertise
Advice
We provide expert advice on policy and legal reform affecting people with disability, grounded in a strong human-rights based framework. This includes drafting position papers and submissions to government reviews, with a focus on implementing recommendations from the Disability Royal Commission and NDIS Review.
Strategy
We help our clients develop and deliver collaborative strategies to address the complex social policy issues, across multiple service systems, impacting the lives of people with disability and their supporters.
Support
We partner with government bodies, universities, services providers and civil society, including disability representative and advocacy organisations. We support their work to advance inclusion of people with disability, including developing roadmaps for reform.
