To investigate programs that empower people with intellectual disability to improve health outcomes.

The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities sets out to promote, protect and ensure that all people with disability are afforded full and equal enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms. It states that people with disability have the right to receive healthcare without discrimination. Australian health outcomes for people with intellectual disability are appalling, twice the rate of avoidable deaths, low rates of preventative healthcare and minimal training for health professionals. I lead DSA’s Inclusive Communication Project, empowering self-advocates with Down syndrome to educate health professionals. During my Fellowship, I travelled to America, Canada, the United Kingdom and Italy and learnt from international initiatives, built on my nationally recognised program and have created a model for a self-advocate program to empower people with Down syndrome and Intellectual disability so they may advocate for an inclusive society.