Ministerial Advisory Council on Disability - Independent adviser to the WA Minister for Disability Services - Keeping government informed

Ms Cindy EVANS

1st Term 08/03/2014 – 07/03/2016

Social inclusion and physical independence for people with profound disabilities have been the main focus of all of the roles both – voluntary and paid – that Cindy Evans has accepted since being introduced to the disability sector at university in the 1980s. Working beside people who have communication and mobility issues for over 30 years has meant that she has experienced, and been part of, significant changes in access and inclusion, and obtained a fairly comprehensive knowledge bank of scenarios. Empowering people who use augmentative and assistive aids in activities of daily living has developed into a personal vocation.

Ms Evans is a highly qualified person thanks to her passion for education that has never diminished. Due to this the experiences within the disability sector that she has been involved in encompass managerial, educational, sporting, therapeutic, voluntary and grass roots roles. This has gifted her with a very well rounded perspective on disability within society as we know it.

As an ex Exercise Physiologist a great many of her roles have involved long term one on one training and conditioning experience that has given her a great deal of friends and acquaintances that have profound disabilities. Her learnt perspective of disability is diverse as it is not generated from experiences within the traditional medical or support systems, yet it has engendered a great deal of knowledge of both medical and government subsidised support systems in relation to living with a disability.

A great deal of Ms Evans employment experiences are related to educating the people who surround the individual with a disability. Empowerment through communication, action, access and inclusion are all areas that she has had a great deal of experience in. Equal rights and opportunities are created first by changing attitudes and this relates very closely to changes in, and adherence to, policies and procedures followed by organisations and industry.

Ms Evans current role is as a lecturer with Central Institute of Technology. She is one of a team of lecturers who teach employment based disability support workers and the administration staff that work beside them. This role is one that keeps her constantly up to date with industry changes and appropriate applications of the disability standards. She says that this gives her unique insight into grass roots disability services organisations as she is constantly assessing her students on the job, and consulting with management.