Safeguarding the future conference - Canberra, 23-24 May 2024

Get That Good Life! Conference 2021

The Get That Good Life! Conference was all about identifying the things that make life good and how to ensure that people with disability have access to these. It provided attendees with countless strategies that create wonderfully ordinary lives for people with disability.

We’re delighted to be able to share most of the presentations as resources on our website. Browse this list of conference sessions, follow the links, and enjoy the replays!

Preconference webinars

Don’t settle for ‘doing something else” by Sarah Humphreys

Portrait of Sarah HumphreysMany children with disability have individual learning goals. These are often formalised into an Individual Education Plan. As a result, the student often ends up doing different work than their classmates.

In this presentation, Sarah Humphreys shared examples of how these personal goals can instead help provide access to the same learning as the rest of the class. In this section, the audience will be invited to share their own experiences. The goal is for participants to feel confident to not settle for “doing something else”.

Watch Don’t settle for “doing something else”

Doing a good job of getting a good job in open employment with Milton Tyree

Portrait of Milton TyreeOne of the most challenging decisions facing employment supporters is determining their own role. It can be hard to know when to get involved and when to step aside.

In this presentation, Milton Tyree discusses the best way to instruct and support an employee with a disability.

Watch Doing a good job of getting a good job in open employment

Building a powerhouse team: families and their support with Janet Klees

Portrait of Janet KleesDuring this two-hour presentation, Janet explained the unique role of paid support. She shows how the role can be powerful when both family and paid supporters understand what “effective support” actually means.

You’ll gain clarity about the most crucial role of the supporter: being a bridge to community and relationship.

Watch Building a powerhouse team: families and their support


Conference Day 1

The essential worker

Coming soon

Towards mastering the essentials of the powerhouse team

Coming soon

Get that good life by supporting new behaviour

Coming soon

Keeping it real

Coming soon

Reflections on a journey of school inclusion

Coming soon

Preparing for when we fall off our perch

Coming soon

From school to international fashion runways

Coming soon

How to be driven by vision, not fear

Coming soon

Conference Day 2

Getting a good start in a good job

Coming soon

Ageing and living well

Coming soon

Stories of microenterprise 1

Coming soon

Stories of microenterprise 2

Coming soon

Kindness, connection, and community

Portrait of Hugh MackayBecause we are social creatures, we are ‘hardwired’ for kindness and cooperation. It’s our natural state. The sense of ‘belonging’ is therefore essential to our mental and emotional health.

But the social changes of the past 30-40 years have been pushing us in the opposite direction. We’ve become more socially fragmented, less cohesive, and more isolated. The consequences are obvious: epidemics of loneliness, anxiety and depression.

In this presentation, Hugh will help us reconnect with the magic of kindness. He’ll explain how building connections can start with small acts of kindness in your neighbourhood. We hope you’ll be motivated to use these techniques in your own life.

Watch Hugh Mackay’s presentation

A conversation with Jan and John

Coming soon

I’m ready for work: Are you?

Coming soon

Making the most of therapy

Coming soon

The gift of learning

Portrait of Annie LeeLifelong learning is an essential part of every person’s good life. Learning new ideas and skills is not only good for the soul. The act of learning often opens new doors, especially in our careers. It gives us opportunities to meet like-minded people, so we often make friends and broaden our social circles. Our course of study might lead to a new hobby, a business venture, or even travel. Our pursuit of knowledge or skills enriches so many parts of our lives.

Everyone deserves the opportunity to learn throughout their lives. But many people assume that people with disability

  • Don’t have the academic capacity, focus, or persistence to engage in lifelong learning
  • Wouldn’t benefit from learning new skills (“What’s the point?”)
  • Would rather be doing leisure activities and other “fun” pursuits, rather than “hard stuff like learning”.

Annie Lee and her mother, Kathryn, will change the way you think about building skills and knowledge after school and beyond. This is regardless of a person’s disability or the obstacles that are often placed in front of people wanting to pursue an interest or learning opportunity.

Annie has learned many new skills since finishing school in 2020. Some skills have been taught by mentors, while others were learned through participation in formal mainstream courses. Most recently, Annie has started a Cert II in Business Studies at the Canberra Institute of Technology. You’ll hear how all these pursuits have given her so much more than new business skills.

And you’ll hear how Kathryn’s commitment to fostering a love of learning has helped to set Annie on an inclusive pathway right from the earliest years.

Watch Annie and Kathryn Lee’s presentation

Learn. Imagine. Create. Repeat.

Coming soon

More resources coming soon