The right to a one-night stand
Dr George Taleporos
Disability Sector Leader & Reasonable & Necessary Podcast Producer
Disruptive Ideas in Disability Housing
Disruptive
Disability HousingIdeasIN
Challenging theStatus Quo
6 October 2026
Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre
Buy ticketsMelbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre
Join Housing Hub in challenging the status quo of disability housing. We're building a space for honest conversations, meaningful debate, and powerful stories designed to shift power back to people with disability.
Join Housing Hub in challenging the status quo of disability housing. We're building a space for honest conversations, meaningful debate, and powerful stories designed to shift power back to people with disability.
6 October 2026Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre
Buy tickets
A National Event Designed to Challenge How Disability Housing Works
Disability housing in Australia has led to many life-changing outcomes, but it's not working for everyone. This event is about creating space for people with disability and advocates to come together, challenge the current system, and have honest, necessary conversations about what's not working and why.
Why Attend?
Bold conversations & live debates
Challenge long-standing assumptions and explore ideas that push beyond business-as-usual thinking in disability housing.
Lived experience in
focus
Hear directly from people who have accessed disability housing and related support models.
Innovation & future thinking
Explore new possibilities across disability housing to expand choice, control and opportunity.
Change in action
Find approaches that might improve housing outcomes now; from system design to service delivery and support models.
Why This Event Matters?
While the NDIS has led to many life-changing outcomes for people with disability, there is still work to do. At times, compliance is still prioritised over quality, and people with disability don't yet lead the housing market.
We believe real progress requires more than general agreement. It requires the courage to challenge long-standing assumptions and to listen to the people most affected by the systems we design.
Our national event provides a platform for provocative and challenging conversations. We want to test established ways of working, push boundaries, and explore new possibilities for people with disability, their families and those who support them.
We are excited to welcome you to Melbourne and to create a space for bold, honest conversations about the future of disability housing in Australia
Alecia Rathbone
Chief Executive, Housing Hub
Chief Executive, Housing Hub
Centred on lived experience
Our event centres people with disability in the conversation. Rather than focusing on industry updates, it highlights lived experiences of housing, shared primarily by people with disability and key sector advocates.
Who will attend?
Our national event will bring together people with disability alongside their personal and professional supporters, as well as housing and support providers, allied health professionals, and industry, peak body and government representatives from across Australia.
Interested in getting involved?
Become a Sponsor
Want to be a part of challenging the status quo in disability housing? Limited sponsorship opportunities, contact us now!
Become a Sponsor
Want to be a part of challenging the status quo in disability housing? Limited sponsorship opportunities, contact us now!
The Venue
Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC)
One of Australia's leading and most accessible event venues, selected to ensure the best possible experience for all attendees.
6 October 2026Venue Accessibility
We've designed this event to be inclusive, comfortable and accessible for everyone.
All event spaces offer step-free access, flexible seating, and layouts that support easy movement and wheelchair access. Quiet, low-sensory space and on-the-day support will also be available.
Accessible features include Easy Read and Plain English program formats, hearing loops, live captioning, additional screens, and Auslan interpreters. Catering stations will be positioned at accessible heights, with staff available to assist during breaks.
Buy ticketsExplore the Program
See how we’re challenging the status quo.
This isn’t a day of presentations telling us what we already know. The program has been designed to bring different perspectives together, challenge assumptions and create space for the conversations disability housing needs to have.
Explore a full day of lived-experience perspectives, provocations, panels, debate and practical discussions about some of the biggest questions facing disability housing.
The right to a one-night stand
Quickfire Presentation- Human rights include the right to sexual expression and bodily autonomy for all of us and this means deciding who comes in and out of our home and why. Led by Patrick Rory-John with Emma Olivier
Meeting the Standard, Missing the Mark
Disruptive Conversation- Join George Taleporos and Jeramy Hope for a no-sugarcoating, deep-dive session on the reality of disability housing, funding, and participant rights. They aren't afraid to ask the challenging questions!
The right to live alone
Quickfire Presentation- Shared housing for people with disabilities is a relic of the past. Bel and Shanais are the new standard. By thriving in their own SDA apartments, they're exposing the injustice of forced sharing and fighting for a future where living alone is a right, not a rarity. Led by Belinda Aitkin and Shanais Nielsen
Disrupting disability housing
Panel Discussion- Explore the future of disability housing; who is driving change, what forces are disrupting the status quo, and what the next era could look like. Will it deliver bold reform? Greater independence, choice and control? And is Australia ready to support a new vision for housing and inclusion? Join Di Winkler, Jeramy Hope and other panelists for a lively, provocative and guaranteed-to-be-disruptive discussion.
Housing advice, legal advice, SDA provider advice
1:1 advice- Those questions you have about your own situation as a person with disability, supporter or SDA provider? Bring them along and talk them through with an expert at our free advice stands.
- Housing Hub Advice Booth - Get free advice about your housing journey, possible eligibility and more, from the Housing Hub Specialist Team
- Villamanta Advice Booth - Speak to the Villamanta team about your legal rights
- SDA Alliance Advice Booth - Speak to experts from the SDA Alliance if you're a housing provider with questions or are seeking to become a provider
No 'Standard' Disability, No 'Cookie-Cutter' Homes: Exposing the Push for Bare-Minimum SDA
Quickfire Presentation- Mitchell Skipsey discusses the recent court rulings and legislative reforms that are quietly rewriting the rules for disability housing, shifting away from tailored solutions toward standard, minimum-spec homes. But standard homes don't work for unique lives.
A home that fit the person
Panel Discussion- This panel, led by Faye Minty, will showcase that there are many and alternative paths to good housing. Featuring discussions about mainstream housing and what success looks like, the exploration of housing and what this looks like when done well, and how ILAs can change lives.
Getting the right staff who stick around
Quickfire Session- In this session, Paul Jay, who has high support needs for communication and decision-making, and his father, Leighton, share the recruitment and onboarding model they use to build Paul's support team. Through supported decision-making, thoughtful planning and careful attention to detail, Paul and Leighton will offer a practical example of how recruitment and onboarding can be done in a way that keeps Paul at the centre of the process.
What Does a Good Life Look Like?
Panel Session- What if we judged disability housing by the lives people build, not the homes we build? What would we do differently? Justin MacDonald poses this question to a panel of guests including Kate D'Cruz and Dr Mark Brown from the Summer Foundation and La Trobe University; Emma Watts, CEO of Cultivating Community; Sijan Dahal from Tenant Voice; and representatives from VALID. Together, the panel will explore what changes when we shift the focus from housing itself to the lives, choices and opportunities people are able to build around it.
The Housemate Pitch
Creative Pitch- Recruiting good housemates is a key part of making host and homeshare arrangements a real option for more people with disability. But how do you introduce more Australians to the idea of sharing a home with someone with disability, and attract the right people? The Summer Foundation challenges two for-purpose creative agencies to show how they would start the conversation. If you've ever seen the TV show Gruen, get ready for a similar pitch-off and to cast your vote for the best ad! Led by Jess Walker, Summer Foundation, with Silver Lining and Good&Proper Creatives.
Networking Hour with Gerry's Well Oiled Machine
Live Entertainment- Stick around at the end of the day for our networking hour, with live music from Gerry's Well Oiled Machine. This disability-led band brings together award-winning songwriters and musicians, using music to share Gerry Smith's unique story and spark greater awareness of disability, mental health and inclusion. Connect, unwind and finish the day on a high with live music!
Meet Our Disruptors, Hosts and Guest Speakers
Jeramy Hope GAICD
Chief Executive OfficerSDA Alliance
Dr Di Winkler (AM)
Chief Executive Officer & FounderSummer Foundation
Dr Dinesh Palipana OAM
Gold Coast University Hospital Doctor, Lawyer & SDA tenant
Belinda Aitken
Disability Housing Expert at Housing Hub & SDA tenant
Shanais Nielsen
Disability Housing Expert at Housing Hub & SDA tenant
Emma Olivier
Disability inclusion expert & Twenty Percent Founder and CEO
Nick Taylor
Philanthropy Executive
Mitchell Skipsey
Senior Solicitor, Strategic LitigationJustice and Equity Centre
Faye Minty
Disability Housing expert with 30 years experience as a CEO
Patrick Rory‑John
Psychosexual Therapist & Inclusion SpecialistNorthcott
Court Walters
HOME Manager, Home and Living ExpertMilparinka
Libby Ellis
Individualised Living Program ManagerMable
Susan Tan-Loucas
Michael Tan’s Sister
Michael Tan
Homeowner
Kate D'Cruz
Associate Professor / Research Team ManagerLa Trobe University & Summer Foundation
Sue Dymond
Advocate and informal supporter & Founder of iDareU
Chloe Dymond
Artist
Leighton Jay
Parent and Advocate
Paul Jay
Tenant
Alecia Rathbone
Chief ExecutiveHousing Hub
Jessica Walker
Head of Policy, Communications and Systems ChangeSummer Foundation
Jonny Clow
Managing Director & Founding PartnerSilver Lining
Ash Smithies
Account DirectorSilver Lining
Oliver Pelling
Founder and Managing DirectorGood&Proper
Taryn Stenvei
Head of ProductionGood&Proper
Sijan Dahal
Disability Advocate & Lived Experience ConsultantTenant Voice
Justin MacDonald
Managing DirectorJust SDA Management
Emma Watts
Chief Executive OfficerCultivating Community
Charlotte Jones
Chief Executive OfficerMental Health Legal Centre
Tarus Fiu
Project OfficerVALiD
Sarah Fordyce
Policy and Reform ManagerNational Disability Services
*Stay tuned for further updates on our disruptors, hosts, and guest speakers as they're confirmed!*
Sponsors
We're grateful to the organisations supporting this national event and helping drive meaningful change in disability housing across Australia.
Gold Sponsors
Silver Sponsors
Bronze Sponsors
Accessibility Sponsors
Exhibitors
Innovation & Ideas Sponsor
Networking Sponsor
Catering Sponsor
Coffee Cart Sponsor (Milk provided by A2)
Funded by the Australian Government Department of Social Services.
Become a Sponsor to Drive Real Change
This event is more than a conversation, it's a challenge to rethink how disability housing works in Australia. As a sponsor, you'll be part of shaping that future.
By sponsoring, your organisation will be part of a national discussion driving practical change, alongside people with lived experience, sector leaders, and decision-makers.
Sponsorship offers a chance to connect with engaged, values-driven audiences, demonstrate your commitment to better outcomes, and align your brand with bold, future-focused thinking. A range of sponsorship opportunities are available, and we're happy to work with you to find the right fit.
Interested in getting involved?
Request the sponsorship prospectus to explore opportunities and start the conversation.
FAQs
Contact UsHave questions about the event? Our team is ready to assist you.
Event DateTuesday, 6 October 2026
Event LocationMelbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre
Get in touch
Have a question about tickets, sponsorships, exhibition, or getting involved? We'd love to hear from you.
We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the land on which this event takes place, the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung and Bunurong peoples of the Eastern Kulin Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples attending this event.