Making Rights Real Advisory Group
In 2016, we launched our Making Rights Real Advisory Group. The group operates as an advisory group to the board and to team members; bringing the voice and ideas of people with disability into discussions about our organisational priorities and direction.
The Making Rights Real Advisory Group informs the way we do what we do.
Members of the group are selected based on their interest in the rights of people with disability, their personal experiences in standing up for their rights and their understanding of the work and role of IDRS. The current members of the Making Rights Real group are:
- Kirra Cochrane
- Taylor Budin
- Jeffrey Lai
- Dale Robinson
- Joseph Taouk
- Ami Newland
The work of the Making Rights Real group is to:
- Advise the IDRS board and team members about issues affecting people with intellectual disability
- Help choose IDRS team members
- Help IDRS make resources for people with intellectual disability
- Make sure rights forum members on the board have their say
- Have a say on important rights issues for people with intellectual disability.
The group meets monthly and members are paid for their time and expertise. An IDRS educator supports the work of the group. Members bring issues to the group and IDRS team members and board also bring agenda items to the group to get their advice.
In the short time that the group have been meeting they have had significant impact – actively involved in the campaign to ensure that advocacy organisations continue to receive government funding; assisting to identify key strategic areas of rights for IDRS to focus on; sitting on interview panels to select IDRS team members; providing advice regarding the rebrand of IDRS and starting an online campaign working towards better jobs and equal rights for people with disability.
