Advisory Council biographies

Jane Spring AM (New South Wales)

Jane is Chair, Australian Disability Strategy Advisory Council, Chair, Disability Council New South Wales (NSW), Chair, Sydney University Sport and Fitness and Director of Royal Rehab, and Venues NSW. Jane is a Vice President of the Institute of Public Administration NSW and Member of the Audit and Risk Committee of the Office of Sport in NSW. Jane is NSW Co Chapter Leader of the Minerva Network.

Jane has previously held non-executive roles at the University of Sydney Senate, Western Sydney Local Health District, Venues NSW, Paraplegic Benefit Fund, Wheelchair Sports Australia, and the Combat Sports Authority. Recent executive roles include Assistant Commissioner NSW Public Service Commission and Deputy Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Jobs for NSW.

Jane is passionate about sport and highlights of her career include six years at the Sydney Organising Committee for the Olympic Games and a stint as CEO of the NSW Institute of Sport.

Jane is a Fellow of the Governance Institute of Australia and the Australian Institute of Company Directors and an Honorary Fellow of the Institute of Public Administration and the University of Sydney. Jane is a member of Chief Executive Women. Jane holds a Master of Public Administration, Bachelor of Law and a Bachelor of Economics (Hons) from the University of Sydney.

Jane has over 30 years’ lived experience of paraplegia following a car accident in 1990.

Cindy Liu (Victoria)

Cindy (She/Her) is a passionate young disabled person of colour, advocating and living on stolen Wurundjeri Land.

Through Cindy’s work centring on lived experience, looking through an intersectional lens and advocating for self-determination, Cindy has worked with various organisations exploring intersectional spaces, in both advisory and co-design capacities, including Youth Disability Advocacy Service and Commonwealth Officer for Youth as a Steering committee member. While also highlighting the strengths, concerns and challenges of young people with disabilities from culturally and linguistically diverse (CaLD) backgrounds as the founder and Co-chair of Multicultural Youth Advocacy Network's Youth Disability CaLD Collective.

Seriako Stephen (Queensland)

Seriako (Seri) Stephen was born in the Torres Strait and is a descendant of the Ugaram Le from the Magaran Tribe.

Seriako was born with Cerebral Palsy due to a traumatic birth. His family were unable to raise him, leading to Seriako being Island Adopted to a family in Cairns with a lot of experience raising children with various disabilities. Seriako considers his adopted family as his biggest inspiration, who always supported him, treated him no differently to anyone else and pushed him to achieve anything he put his mind to.

Seriako is a proud Indigenous person, whose motivation in life is to speak up for everyone, whether Indigenous or not, and be a voice for those who can’t speak up for themselves.

Seriako sits on the board of the First Peoples Disability Network Australia (FPDN). He was the first Torres Strait Islander with disability to be invited to Parliament House at 18 years of age and was a finalist in the Disability Rights Young Leadership category at the 2009 National Disability Awards. Seriako was also invited to speak at the United Nations as part of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities 2019 conference on the inclusion of Indigenous persons with disability in society through participation in cultural life.

Akii Ngo (Victoria)

Akii (they/them) is an international multi-award-winning disability, gender equity advocate and family, domestic, intimate partner and sexual violence survivor-activist, trainer and educator. Akii is fiercely dedicated to and deeply passionate about human rights, accessibility, intersectionality, inclusion, advocacy, non-tokenistic representation and all aspects of co-design. They are a proudly multiply disabled, multiply-neurodivergent (Autistic, ADHD & Complex-PTSD), gender-diverse transgender non-binary and Queer/LGBTIQA+ person of colour (POC), from a refugee, culturally, racially and marginalised (CARM) non-English speaking background. Akii lives with numerous complex chronic illnesses, debilitating constant chronic pain and has several degenerative physical and neurological disabilities.

Akii is an experienced subject matter expert consultant, facilitator, writer, professional keynote presenter and an internationally published & represented model pushing to improve disabled, neurodivergent, LGBTIQA+, mobility aid, POC and intersectional representation in the mainstream, media, beauty and fashion industries. Recently, Akii worked as the inaugural Sydney WorldPride 2023 Accessibility (Diversity & Inclusion) Manager and concurrently, as a Senior Co-design & Engagement Advisor for the NDIA, leading and focusing on the NDIS LGBTIQASB+ strategy and LGBTIQASB+ - affirming practices. Akii now presently works a full-time role at one of Victoria’s most diverse universities as the Equity, Inclusion & Belonging (EIB) Lead, is a National Sessional Violence Prevention Trainer at No To Violence and sits on numerous councils and advisory committees throughout Australia.

Uncle Wilfred Prince (Queensland)

Uncle Willie Prince’s life is a testament to resilience and the power of self-discovery. He was born on the Aboriginal mission of Cherbourg in Wakka Wakka country and has a spiritual connection to the Kalkadoon peoples of Mt Isa. Uncle Willie faced the challenges of being part of the Stolen Generation - a painful period in Australian history when Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children were forcibly removed from their families and communities. He was born with a disability in the 1960’s, a time where Indigenous people were not recognised as Australian Citizens and were considered property of the government. He was displaced at the age of two when he was removed from country and community and placed in institution care.

Despite the difficult circumstances, Uncle Willie’s determination and curiosity inspired him to seek answers about his identity and culture. As he grew older, he began asking questions, determined to reclaim his identify and connection to his roots. Raised within the systems of institutional and government care, away from his family, people and community, he embarked on a journey of self-discovery. Along the way, he received support from various individuals who helped him navigate this challenging pathway.

One significant turning point in Uncle Willie’s life was his opportunity to learn more about his life. There, he delved into learning more about his background and where he came from. Conversations with other Indigenous people with disabilities further enriched his understanding. Uncle Willie’s story is a powerful testament of resilience, the importance of cultural identity, and the strength that comes from reclaiming one’s voice. His experience serves as a reminder of the need to listen to and honour the stories of those who have faced adversity and triumphed against all odds.

Uncle Willie was one of the inaugural members of the Disability Council of Queensland 1999-2001

Award: Centenary of Federation of Australia

Current: An Elder of the Murri Court in Queensland

Kelly Cox (New South Wales)

Kelly works with other disabled people to affect change around disability and human rights issues. That has included better provision of service within the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS,) lobbying for a Royal Commission and a wide range of other local, national and international issues. As a disabled woman Kelly has first-hand understanding and lived experience of issues affecting disabled people. She has been actively involved in representing the rights of disabled people, particularly women in disability rights spaces and is a contributing member of the disability rights movement in Australia.

Kelly currently holds a range of advisory positions for state and federal Governments and regularly carries out a variety of project work for Disability Representative Organisations. She has previously worked in NDIS service Provision, Aboriginal Aged Care, for a Local Aboriginal Land Council and most recently as a Senior Policy Officer / Systemic Advocate to represent First Nations people with disability. She is a current member of the NSW Disability Council.

She grew up on Biripi Country and currently lives in the Bundjalung Nation. She has a developed understanding of the barriers disabled First Nations people encounter while trying to access services and supports. She is passionate about working to uphold the rights of all disabled people to ensure they are able to live the life they want and holds specific interest in violence prevention and intersectional issues and the way these further marginalise and disadvantage people with disability.

Sarah Skopellos (Northern Territory)

Sarah is a person with disability who is passionate about supporting disability advocacy activities in the community.

With this purpose, Sarah sits on a range of government and not-for-profit committees including Chair of Integrated Disability Action Inc (the peak disability consumer organisation for the Northern Territory), Vice-Chair of the Northern Territory (NT) Disability Advisory Committee, and member of the NDIA Participant Reference Group. Sarah also coordinates three local peer support groups including the Darwin Multiple Sclerosis Peer Support Group, the Darwin Blind and Vision Impaired Club and the Darwin Disability Community Support Facebook group.

Through her service to community, Sarah has learned to network, listen and really understand the different and complex perspectives of people in her community. As she goes about her business, Sarah often feels humbled and grateful to be in a position where she can represent these perspectives in the boardroom and contribute to improved outcomes for all people living with disability.

Sarah won a national Disability Leadership Program Scholarship in 2023 and has over 20 years’ experience providing executive support in the NT Public Service.

Sisaleo Philavong (South Australia)

Sisaleo Philavong is a dedicated disability advocate and professional currently serving as a Co-coordinator of a Social Participation Program at Multicultural Communities Council of South Australia (MCCSA). With a Diploma in Disability and a Bachelor's degree in Disability and Developmental Education from Flinders University, Sisaleo is a qualified Developmental Educator who brings a wealth of knowledge and personal experience to his roles.

As a Hemiplegic with Cerebral Palsy, Sisaleo offers unique insights into the challenges faced by individuals with disabilities. He currently chairs the South Australia (SA) Ministerial Advisory Council. He is a member of the Adelaide City Council Disability Committee and Volunteering SA/NT Community of Practice. He is demonstrating his commitment to effecting change at various levels of government.

Sisaleo is particularly passionate about ensuring the rights of culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) people with disabilities, with a focus on employment, housing, transport and education. His dedication to community service was recognised in 2004 when he was named Young Citizen of the Year for South Australia and the City of Salisbury.

In his work and advocacy, Sisaleo aims to foster better connections and cultural understanding between service navigation and delivery, bridging the gap between government and non-government partners. His appointment to the ADS advisory council further exemplifies his commitment to improving outcomes for people with disabilities across Australia.

Always striving for personal growth, Sisaleo is learning Para standing Tennis, showcasing his determination to embrace new challenges and promote inclusive sports, and developing MCCSA's Disability Council.

Chris Varney (Victoria)

Chris is an Autistic law graduate and a pioneer of Autistic-led service provision in Australia.
Chris has a background in children’s rights and youth programs, having been 2009 Australian Youth Representative to the UN and World Vision Australia’s Manager of Youth. Chris founded I CAN Network in 2013 and as Chief Enabling Officer has grown it into Australia’s largest Autistic-led organisation with over 70 Autistic staff and 2,000+ young people in the program nationally.
Chris was a 2018 Victorian Australian of the Year Finalist and recipient of the 2017 Supreme Court of Victoria’s Best Achievement in Human Rights Award. He also serves as National Patron of the Australian Association for Special Education and is the Chairperson of the Victorian Disability Advisory Council. Chris married his wife Karen in 2019 and is a proud father to son, George. 

Kathy Hough (Western Australia)

Kathy is the CEO of Far North Community Services and has worked in rural and remote parts of Western Australia with, and for, people with disability for 35 years, with experience in a variety of civic, voluntary and paid roles including 13 years as a host family in an Individualised Living Operations (ILO) arrangement.

Championing rights, inclusion and equity have been a driver for Kathy to take on roles such as a Board member (2010-2014) and then Deputy Chairperson of the Disability Services Commission (2014-2017). Kathy currently chairs the Council for Regional Disability Services in WA.

Passionate about learning, equity of access and quality of life for people who live in rural Australia, Kathy has a Masters in Regional Development and post graduate Certificate in Australia Rural Leadership. Kathy believes the voices of people who live in rural and remote Australia are full of rich and valuable insights that should be heard.

Helen McDevitt, Public Service Medal (PSM), Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company (GAICD)

Helen is Chair of the ACT Disability, Aged and Carers Advocacy Service and is on the Board of the Older Person’s Advocacy Network. Before this, Helen was a senior Australian Public Servant and has extensive experience in social policy and Commonwealth and State relations.

Helen played a key role in the transition to the National Disability Insurance Scheme, led social policy in the department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet and supported the Government’s Social Inclusion Not-For-Profit sector agendas. Helen brings leadership, management and negotiation skills, and extensive experience in policy reform and delivery.

Helen’s earlier career was in the community sector working in regional development, education and youth services. She has a particular passion for supporting and improving the lives of people with disability and young people through promoting their social inclusion, education and workforce participation.

Helen is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and was awarded the Public Service Medal in 2020.