Summary
Imagine More’s Anne and Fiona attended CRU’s Building Capacity for Lifelong Inclusion conference in Brisbane, held on 14-15 March 2025. Despite recent cyclone damage, CRU hosted an inspiring event with 250 attendees, including families, professionals, and people with disability.
Fiona co-presented a workshop on Customised Employment, sharing insights on how families can take small steps toward meaningful employment for their family members with disability. A key takeaway from the event was the power of storytelling—hearing real experiences can spark new ideas and change lives.
Families left the event feeling re-energised, and we encourage our community to continue sharing and learning from each other. Every story has the potential to create new opportunities!
Last week, two of our team members, Anne and Fiona, attended the Building Capacity for Lifelong Inclusion conference hosted by the Community Resource Unit (CRU) in Brisbane. It was an incredible two days filled with learning, connection, and powerful storytelling, made even more remarkable given the challenges Brisbane faced the previous week due to a cyclone. A huge congratulations to CRU for delivering such a successful and impactful event despite the adversity!
A gathering of like-minded people
Held at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, the event brought together 250 passionate individuals, including people with disability, their families, professionals, and advocates. The atmosphere was energetic and optimistic as attendees explored topics critical to lifelong inclusion. With so many rich discussions and workshop streams—including Supported Decision Making, Customised Employment, Inclusive Education, and Respectful Support—it was difficult to choose just one stream to attend!
The heart of the event was undoubtedly the stories shared by people with disability. Many presenters were speaking publicly for the first time, offering invaluable insights from their lived experiences. These personal stories were insightful and practical, offering real-world strategies that families could take away and implement in their own lives.
Imagine More’s Contribution: Fiona’s workshop on Customised Employment
On the second day, Imagine More’s School to Work project coordinator, Fiona McIntosh, co-presented a workshop on Customised Employment alongside Katie Hodges from Resourcing Inclusive Communities (part of Family Advocacy).
Customised Employment (CE) is a tailored approach that matches a person’s strengths and interests to an employer’s needs, creating opportunities that may not exist in traditional hiring practices.
The School to Work project is an ongoing collaboration between Imagine More, CRU, and Family Advocacy to support high school students with disability and their families in exploring meaningful employment opportunities through Customised Employment.
In their workshop, Fiona and Katie mapped out the CE approach and shared success stories illustrating how small steps taken today can lead to life-changing employment outcomes. They aimed to empower families with the knowledge and confidence to start their own employment journey—whether their family member is still in school or looking for new opportunities in adulthood.
Katie and Fiona’s workshop was very well received, evoking many positive comments and in-depth questions. One parent remarked that she came to the event believing that her son would only ever work in his own small microenterprise. The workshop has completely shifted her thinking to the possibility of a customised job!
The power of sharing stories
One of the strongest takeaways from the conference was the impact of storytelling. Fiona observed how even casual conversations between families—during a workshop or over morning tea—can spark life-changing insights.
For example, during a break, she met a family who had involved their child’s classroom peers in the Discovery process of Customised Employment. The children provided unique perspectives on their classmate’s strengths and interests—insights that even teachers and parents hadn’t fully realised. This story highlighted the importance of looking beyond formal assessments and embracing the knowledge of those who know the person best.
Small steps make a big difference
Fiona also noted that many families worry about how to start their employment journey, often feeling overwhelmed by the process. Her message? Don’t be daunted by the whole—just start somewhere.
Families don’t have to figure everything out at once. A simple action, like committing to noticing a family member’s interests over the next four weeks, can uncover valuable insights that pave the way for meaningful employment. The key is to begin—because waiting for the “right” moment or the perfect service to appear can result in lost opportunities.
Community connections and a re-energising experience
The Friday evening social event provided a fantastic opportunity to catch up with friends and colleagues from across the country, reinforcing the strength of the community. Many attendees remarked on how re-energising the conference was and how many ideas they looked forward to implementing when they got home.
Your story matters
At Imagine More, we strongly believe in the power of shared stories. There is always a gold nugget of information in every lived experience—something that has the potential to shift another family’s trajectory in a positive way. Whenever possible, we encourage you to share your experiences, listen to others, and take away ideas that could make all the difference.
If you’re looking for guidance on Customised Employment or any other aspect of inclusion, we’re here to help. Reach out to us, join a peer group, or simply start a conversation—because every story matters.