Children and Young People with Disability Australia
Promoting equal opportunity and full inclusion for children and young people with disability (0-25 years) across Australia.
Celebrating 15 years of advocacy!
This year is CYDA’s 15th birthday, and we want to invite you to be part of something special to celebrate!
For 15 years, we have been fighting for an Australia where children and young people with disability can fully exercise their rights, realise their aspirations, and thrive.
Our new campaign – #CYDA15 – aims to unite our community around the important work still to come.
Federal Election 2025
This election, CYDA is calling for urgent and genuine action across four key areas to improve outcomes for children and young people with disability, and their parents and caregivers.
Our Election Platform can now be viewed as an accessible Word or PDF document.
Employer Innovation Lab
Children and Young People with Disability Australia and Social Ventures Australia work together to increase the knowledge, skills and confidence of employers to employ more young people with disability in their workplaces.
The Voices at Work report can now be viewed as a PDF or summary webinar format.
NYDS Summit Zine
Young people with disability came together in 2024 for the National Youth Disability Summit. They talked about identity, community, empowerment and creating change. Many contributed creative artwork and written pieces about their experiences for the Summit zine.
The zine can now be downloaded in PDF or plain text. An Easy Read summary is also available.
Changes to the NDIS
You may have heard that a bill has passed through parliament that changes the way the NDIS works and what you can spend your funds on.
The first changes are in effect from October 3. The NDIA has released new lists describing what you can and can’t buy with NDIS funding.
Know your rights!
CYDA has been working with the Australian Government to develop a series of resources to help students with disability, their families and caregivers understand their rights in the education system.
The resources were co-designed by young people with disability and their families and are available in Easy Read, Auslan and community languages.
AuDHD advocate, Emily Unity, CYDA Youth Programs Manager, Daniel Munter, and CYDA CEO, Skye Kakoschke-Moore, recently travelled to New York to represent CYDA at CoSP17, the annual UN conference on the rights of people with disability.
Book Power
Free webinar! Our 2024 Book Power webinar is a fantastic resource for teachers, parents, writers, readers, librarians, advocates, and anyone interested in disability representation in literature.
Presenters spoke about the history of disability representation in the media, the impact of positive representation, how it’s improving, and where we can do better.
CYDA and the Disability Royal Commission
The Disability Royal Commission into violence, abuse neglect and exploitation of disabled people released its final report in late 2023.
CYDA calls for an end to segregated education and employment, and the elimination of all restrictive practices against children and young people with disability.
CYDA and the NDIS Review
CYDA has been working with the NDIS Review to make sure the needs and interests of children and young people with disability are represented in reforms. The full list of recommendations from the NDIS review has now been released!
“Enough is enough”: People with disability need economic justice in cost of living crisis
With nine days left until the Federal Election, Australia’s disability representative organisations have come together with solutions to relieve cost of living pressures on 1 in 5 voters – people with disability – who have so far been ignored in the campaign.
No more delays – it’s time for a National Roadmap for Inclusive Education, say peak disability organisations
The right to a fully inclusive education system is out of reach for too many children and young people with disability. This election, a coalition of disability organisations calls for all candidates to commit to a National Roadmap for Inclusive Education.
Personal Best
Personal Best is a powerful and thoughtful comic by 12-year-old Tex, exploring what it’s like to navigate school and everyday life with Cerebral Palsy. Through humour, honesty, and hand-drawn illustrations, Tex shares why inclusion matters, and reminds us that everybody is different.
An important part of the work we do at CYDA is making submissions to government and policy makers. In our submissions, we make recommendations for changes to uphold the rights, and improve the wellbeing, of children and young people with disability.
Sign up for our e-news and stay up to date on all the latest events, opportunities and advocacy work happening at CYDA.
The Platform is our newsletter for young people with disability, featuring interviews, opportunities and news on the issues that matter to you!
Since June 2023, we have ...
delivered
25
co-design sessions with young people with disability
made
11
submissions to government
welcomed
211
new participants in our projects and programs
partnered with
32
organisations on initiatives that benefit our community
