​Australia’s Disability Strategy National Forum 2026 brought together disability researchers, policymakers, advocates, and people with lived experience in Adelaide on 24-25 February. Associate Professor Sarah Knight, attended alongside lived experience consultant Chelsea Aquilina to present a poster on their team’s co-designed research, funded by the National Disability Research Partnership. The project is a collaboration between The University of Melbourne, Yellow Ladybugs and Heads Together for Brain Injury. The work centres on the psychological safety of children with disabilities who are labelled with “behaviours of concern,” and uses trauma-informed and affirming approaches that place the child’s experience at the heart of the research.  

​There is a strong sense at the Forum, that the conversation has come so far, where people with disability are now central to shaping disability policy and research in Australia. The next step is ensuring that this momentum leads to real change in health systems, services and everyday safety for people with disability.