Youth Hub
A space for young people with disability
On this page, you will find information about CYDA’s youth programs, opportunities, youth led advocacy and content created by young people with disability.
The DREAM (Disability Representation Employment & Accessibility Mission) Network is a project that bridges the gap between young people with disability and employers with blogs, resources, workshops and events.
Image: A young woman with fair skin and long blonde hair, wearing headphones, sitting at a computer with hands on keyboard and looking to her left into camera and smiling.
Young Leaders Programs
CYDA is supporting local organisation to run regional/rural Young Leaders Programs for young people with disability. Applications will open in August 2024.
Youth led advocacy
Young people with disability are leading the way at CYDA, working directly on our policy and research, election platforms and as delegates to the United Nations.
Image: Text in a blue blob reads: “Young, powerful, engaged”.
Graphic of a plane flying in front of the sun over a Canberra cityscape. Text reads: “National Youth Disability Summit”.
National Youth Disability Summit
The Summit is CYDA’s annual event where young people with disability gather (online and in person) to talk about the issues that matter to them, learn about and develop their advocacy, and have a real say about their futures.
Opinion pieces and interviews by young people with disability.
Art as advocacy: The power of disabled storytelling
Collective art projects like the zine have the power to create change. We spoke to 4 disabled artists about their inspirations and what storytelling means to them and their communities.
Behind the zines: Creating the summit zine
CYDA’s first ever Zine brought together the poetry, illustrations, and sculptures of disabled young storytellers from across the country. But how did it begin?
A hand-drawn map
When mainstream employment is inaccessible, and the usual advice isn’t working, sometimes a passion project can lead to unexpected opportunities.
Where is the stable work for young people?
When formal training and years of experience still don’t lead to ongoing work – Ashleigh Keating writes about the struggle to find stable employment as a young person with disability.
The Disabled Employee Podcast – Episode 4: When the contract ends
Young people with disability often find that the work available to them is short-term contract work. So, how do you deal when you are regularly facing unemployment at the end of your latest contract? Dureece, Thanh and Britt talk about finding the next opportunity, the impact of being of being in limbo between jobs, and the pitfalls of the Disability Support Pension.
The Disabled Employee Podcast – Episode 3: Reignite your spark
Britt, Dureece and Thanh talk about leaving bad work situations as young people with disability, the emotional impact of being without work, and reigniting your spark.
