Deb Rouget

For nearly 30 years, Deb Rouget has been involved in the lives of people with disability and their families. Deb was one of the founders of Belonging Matters, a capacity-building organisation in Melbourne, and has held the role of CEO for 20 years.

Deb has gained much practical experience and wisdom in regard to supporting people with intellectual disabilities to live in their own homes, rather than in group homes. She has witnessed how people flourish when they are supported to authentically live in their own home, develop to their full potential and connect to their neighbourhood.

She has a BA in Applied Science, Intellectual Disability, and writes and teaches about belonging and social inclusion.

  • Nurturing the sanctity of home and building belonging

    For far too many people with disability, “home” has historically been a service island: A place where things are done to, at, or for them. This experience of being a passive recipient in one’s own life doesn’t only exist within institutional walls; it can quietly take root even when someone lives in a home of their own. If we aren’t mindful, any support arrangement has the power to extinguish the sanctity of home and stifle a person’s potential.

    This presentation will explore how our daily actions can impact the sanctuary of a person’s home, inadvertently turning it into a workplace where a person never truly feels they belong. It will provide practical strategies to ensure the person remains the author of their own home and creates a deeper connection to their community.

Back to main conference page
Back to all speakers