About TEDICORE - Project Advisory Body
Members of TEDICORE's Project Advisory Body provide support and advice to the TEDICORE policy advisor and act as a conduit between the disability community and TEDICORE. They represent the following major Australian disability advocacy organisations:
- Blind Citizens Australia
- Brain Injury Australia
- Communication Rights Australia
- Deaf Australia
- Deafness Forum of Australia
- National Ethnic Disability Alliance
- Physical Disability Council of Australia
- Women With Disabilities Australia.
Members of the Project Advisory Body
Frank Nowlan is the Chair of TEDICORE. Frank is a lawyer with a
wealth of experience in public administration, public policy and legal
advocacy. As a manager in the consumer relations area of the Australian
Communications Authority, Frank had key responsibilities for the relationship
between the authority and telecommunications consumers. Frank has also had
extensive experience in the oversight and conduct of investigations for
Australia's Commonwealth Ombudsman.
Louise Bannister represents Women With Disabilities Australia. Her
involvement in disability activism was prompted by the untimely,
disability-related death of her best friend. She now works in disability
support at the University of Canberra and facilitates work-ready courses at an
ACT Community Service. She represents the interests of women with disabilities
on a range of government and community advisory bodies. She is an acknowledged
community leader.
Harold Hartfield represents the Physical Disability Council of
Australia (PDCA). Harold coordinates PDCA's telecommunications representation
and channels feedback from PDCA members on telecommunications issues. Harold is
also a member of the Communications Alliance Disability Council and the Telstra
Disability Forum. Harold has an education background and recently became an
accredited workplace trainer.
Leah Hobson is the representative for Blind Citizens Australia.
She is the National Policy Officer for the Australian Federation of Disability
Organisations. Over the past ten years Leah has been involved with the
disability sector through both advocacy groups and service providers as a paid
worker and volunteer. At present Leah is studying for a Masters in Social
Science.
Nick Rushworth is the representative of Brain Injury Australia. He
has been President of the Brain Injury Association of New South Wales (the NSW
state member organization of Brain Injury Australia) since 2004. In 1996, armed
with a bicycle, Nick attacked two cars. The cars won, but Nick's recovery from
a severe ABI was exceptional. Formerly a journalist, his most recent work has
been for the Northern Territory Government setting up their new Office of
Disability.
Andrew Stewart represents the Deafness Forum of Australia. An
electronics engineer, Andrew is hearing impaired, has two hearing impaired
children, and six other family members with hearing loss. Deafness Forum
is Australia's peak body for deafness, representing all interests and
viewpoints of the Deaf and hearing impaired communities (including people with
chronic disorders of the ear and the Deaf Blind).
Andrew Wiltshire represents Deaf Australia, the national peak
organisation for Deaf people in Australia who use Auslan (Australian Sign
Language). He is responsible for the Deaf Telecommunications Access and
Networking (DTAN) project. Andrew's work as Deaf Australia's Community Liaison
and Projects Officer involves events organisation, consultation, promotional
work and research. Andrew is an active contributor to a number of advisory
groups.
Hank Wyllie represents Communication Rights Australia (CAUS), an advocacy
service for the 1.7 million Australians with communication and speech
difficulties. He is a passionate advocate with extensive experience as a
telecommunications representative, having served on several communications
advisory bodies, as well as having been a Director (Speech Impairment) on the
Australian Communication Exchange (ACE) Board for 3 years.