On Sunday February 1st 2026, Physical Disability Australia (PDA) will be hosting the fourth Physical Disability Awareness Day and you’re invited to join the celebrations.
Established by PDA in 2023 after seeing a gap in the awareness calendar for highlighting physical disabilities, this very special day brings attention to people living with physical disability, their contributions and the many conditions that fall under the physical disability umbrella.
The day also provides a wonderful opportunity for people to come together and be united in their support for Australia’s physical disability community.
PDA's Ambassador, Dr Dinesh Palipana OAM shared his commitment to raise the profile of the event. “Days like Physical Disability Awareness Day are important, because they connect the world to the journeys of people with physical disability. It’s how the world moves forward, to make a better life for everyone. However, storytelling is an important part of awareness. For people with disability, creative events is one way to tell stories, to bring awareness to the world, to create unity and inclusion.”
Our online DisabiliTEA event will once be held, this time with a fun disability themed Bingo session (with some fantastic prizes) and some amazing guest speakers who will share their stories.
NSW/VIC/ACT/TAS 2pm
SA: 1.30pm
QLD: 1pm
NT: 12.30pm
WA: 11am
This year’s theme is “Creative Possibilities” (#CreativePossibilities) and will allow us to showcase some incredible people who have accomplished careers in the creative and artistic space (including literature, media production and performance), but also highlight everyone’s creative abilities – including generation of new, original and valuable ideas or solutions to find adaptable ways and thinking to solve problems or express themselves.
It is with great pleasure that we announce our speaker lineup:
- * Dr Dinesh Palipana OAM is the Ambassador of Physical Disability Australia and is known not just for his work as a doctor in the emergency department of Gold Coast University Hospital and his advocacy work in the disability space, but also for his work in research and as a celebrated author and national treasure - and many other achievements on the side.
- * Stephanie Dower is a recognised and in demand arts producer, writer and editor and is also the creative mind behind Dower Productions. Her strong commitment to promoting disability inclusion both on screen and behind the scenes, Stephanie has worked across short films, TVCs and online content, and is currently developing a slate of bold and aspirational projects. She is also the recipient of a number of production prizes and accolades, a co-host of Attitude Foundation's “ReFramed Podcast” and a sought after speaker on accessibility and inclusion.
- * Tony Dee (aka Tony Doevendans) is a singer and performer adored around the world for his velvet voice, swinging tunes and gentle love songs from the early jazz days to the 1950's and beyond. Tony was born with Spina Bifida and is a full time wheelchair user. He is passionate about living life to the full.
- * Melanie Hawkes is PDA’s WA Director who works in communications with the WA Department of Fire and Emergency Services. She is also a writer who has won numerous literary awards, and ignited a worldwide conversation around sexuality and disability though sharing her personal sexual journey and insight into why intimacy, love and self growth is important for everyone. As winner of the 2023 Discovery Awards for her innovative stick, Melanie shows that creativity isn’t necessarily reserved for the arts, but also something that everyone (and particularly people living with disability) is able to utilise to find solutions and answers to improve daily living and to bring positive change.
Robert Wise, PDA's VIC Director and the Bingo Caller for the DisabiliTEA event, shared his thoughts on why Physical Disability Awareness Day holds special meaning for him. "This very important day provides individuals with physical disabilities the opportunity to have a voice and to gain recognition within society. It provides an opportunity to demonstrate to mainstream society that, although our bodies may function differently, our minds remain active and we are still valuable and prominent members of the community. I am so proud to be a part of this meaningful day."
To register for the online DisabiliTEA, please go to https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/q3wGsKsUSga_rmddVY_lmw
GROUP EVENT REGISTRATIONS - Registered DisabiliTEA individuals running group events with 4 or more registered attendees who attend, will go into the draw to win a prize to be divided/distributed by winning registered host at the discretion of those attending the winning group event.
We look forward to having you join us to celebrate Physical Disability Awareness Day 2026.
Together let’s grow and strengthen Physical Disability Awareness Day by making some noise, being seen, being recognised, being considered and being celebrated.
If you would like to run your own Physical Disability Awareness Day event or would like to be involved in the organising committee for next year, please email Natasha Nobay (Communications and Engagement Manager, Physical Disability Australia) at [email protected] or call 1800 732 674.
The following individual is available for interviews:
- Jeremy Muir - Physical Disability Australia CEO
About us:
Physical Disability Australia (PDA) is a national peak Disability Peoples Organisation (DPO) run by people with physical disability for people with physical disability. PDA exists for its members, who fuel our mission to “enable every Australian living with a physical disability to realise their full potential”.
Contact details:
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 0414 422 987 (Jeremy Muir, CEO)
Contact details:
Please direct all media inquiries to Jeremy Muir on 0414 422 987 or by emailing [email protected]
For more information please contact Natasha Nobay (Communications and Engagement Manager) at PDA on 1800 732 674 or email [email protected]
