November 16, 2025 • 10 mins
Kathrine Peereboom chats with Peter Greco about the Melbourne Disability Expo coming up on 21st and 22nd November. Kathrine, a keynote speaker at the event is an advocate and public speaker, who raises awareness about disability with first responders, and those working in the justice system.
More info: Melbourne Disability Expo
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Episode Transcript
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S1 (00:13):
The Melbourne Disability Expo is coming up on the 21st
and 22nd of November. We're about to give you a
personal invitation via the radio, and one of the keynote
speakers is our guest, Catherine. Catherine, welcome and thanks so
much for your time.
S2 (00:25):
Oh, thank you for having me on the show. I
really appreciate it.
S1 (00:28):
How much are you looking forward to this? Do you
enjoy this sort of public awareness and spreading the word
about the work that you do, and the importance of
access and inclusion?
S2 (00:35):
I think it's so critical for our community to have
these opportunities to not only speak to you, but to
be part of such a wonderful event that Impact Institute
puts on. It raises awareness, it brings the community together,
but it brings people outside of the disability world into
our spaces so we can create more inclusive spaces out
(00:58):
in that general public. So I think it's really important,
the work that we do.
S1 (01:02):
Fantastic. And I guess, you know, I often say to people,
everyone potentially is but a heartbeat away from either being
on the NDIS or needing support in this area, even
though you might be impacted or affected at this very moment.
You just never know what's around the corner.
S2 (01:16):
Absolutely. You never know what's going to happen tomorrow. And
at some point we all age and we become vulnerable. So,
you know, I think the more that we can discuss
and have these opportunities, people become more educated. And the
more education that you have, the more empathy that you
can have for somebody who you may not share the
(01:36):
lived experience right here in this moment, but I bet you,
you know somebody in your network or in your family
that has been affected by some disability, whether it's temporary
or permanent.
S1 (01:49):
And of course, you know, disability is such a broad brush,
isn't it? Can be psychological, emotional, physical. People that might
be neurodivergent, etc. there's a number of categories under that
major category, if I can put it that way.
S2 (02:00):
Yes, you're absolutely right. The list of disabilities and vulnerabilities
are extensive, and they're not all visible. You hear this
term all the time, but just show kindness. You never
know what somebody is going through. And in a world
of social media and keyboard warriors, if you don't understand it,
be polite. Ask a question if you're genuinely curious, and
(02:24):
if you've got something not so kind to say. Scroll
on by.
S1 (02:30):
I like that I'll write that down. I think I'll
use that in the future. Catherine I'll credit you with
it now. Another thing is that there's so much information
and so many services out there, and so many different
ways to access things. Something like this Melbourne Disability Expo,
200 plus organisations or service providers, all in the one place,
kind of does save a bit of shoe leather or
indeed having to sort of search different sites, etc. to
(02:51):
have them all in one stop shop.
S2 (02:52):
The work that Impact Institute does across Australia. It's remarkable.
This year I believe we've been, I think, everywhere except
for Perth, and I know that Perth is on the
agenda for next year. They have been at the forefront
of creating these events where they bring together every walk
of life for the community, from first responders through to
(03:16):
service providers and most importantly, the disability community themselves. Having
a safe space where they can openly be themselves, they
can explore services with dignity and walk away empowered to
hopefully reach out to somebody that can support them in
their day to day life and make them have just
(03:37):
a more fulfilling day to day life.
S1 (03:40):
Part of the focus that the Impact Institute has had
throughout this year has been connecting employers and potential employees,
and we actually spoke to Catherine Kerr a few weeks ago,
been to Darwin, and out of that, within a day
or so an apprenticeship had eventuated, which was such a
powerful thing. And I guess we all do what we
do because we think we're doing a good job and
we love it. But when you hear results like that,
(04:00):
you think, well, this is really worthwhile for sure.
S2 (04:03):
The workability component of the Expos this year has been
such a valuable asset. I've had the pleasure of presenting
within that workability space, as well as the disability expo space,
and the questions that come out from people who are
looking to have gainful employment, and then employers sitting there saying, hi,
(04:25):
I'm ready for people to come and work with our
organisation and marrying. Those two have just been so impressive
and really, honestly life changing because at the end of
the day, emotional satisfaction really does tie in hand in
hand with financial gain. So if you are credibly working
(04:46):
and earning a living, it changes your mental health and
your wellbeing and they are tied together. So this workability
that Impact Institute has put on this year has changed
so many lives for the better. It's just been awesome.
S1 (04:59):
And the punctuality, the reliability, the loyalty of particularly employees
with disabilities, it's kind of a good investment from a
business point of view.
S2 (05:08):
Couldn't agree with you more. Everybody, every single person has
attributes that they bring to any organization. And just like
finding your perfect partner in life, it's the same thing
with finding the right employer for you and in the
disability space. Sometimes we need to identify the red flags
or the green flags before we take on a role.
(05:31):
And it's really about empowering our community to ensure that
they ask the questions of the future employer to make
sure that it's going to be a right fit. And
when that right fit happens, as you know, it's magical.
It can be wonderful.
S1 (05:45):
It maybe even better than a good relationship. Well, maybe
equally as good. We won't go there. Of course. The
other another thing is I talked about the reliability and
punctuality and the loyal employees. The other thing is it
kind of adds a bit of perspective to the workplace,
a bit of diversity, a bit of inclusion that those
sort of things that, again, are kind of intangible but
tangible at the same time in 2025.
S2 (06:06):
Moving into 2026, I think a lot more awareness in
employment is there, and you've seen major billion dollar organizations
or very big organizations leading for many years with inclusivity
and really wanting to have that triple bottom line and
that social inclusion. And I think the more organizations that
(06:27):
we can get bringing in a diverse workforce, the better
it is for everybody. I think we've learned from Covid
that the old methodology of working doesn't really make it
or cut it anymore. We've got people working from home,
we've got people doing shared job responsibilities. We now have
(06:47):
people working in different countries or different states, and they
all contribute in different ways. And so bringing now the
disability community to the forefront just adds a really wonderful
layer into the employment pool.
S1 (07:04):
Than just a little bit about your keynote. We're rapidly
running out of time. We could talk for ages. What's
your kind of message? And also happy to chat to
people afterwards and maybe do a bit of Q&A, that
sort of stuff as well.
S2 (07:14):
Absolutely. What I do, I make sure that I have
time to speak to every single person that would like
to engage with me at the end of my keynote talks.
It's so humbling to get off the stage and have
a line of people there who are willing to share
their vulnerabilities and trust me with some of their stories. And,
(07:36):
you know, some of their stories have not necessarily been kind,
and they face a lot of discrimination and they face
a lot. So to have that level of trust when
I get off the stage is impressive. The types of
talks that I do vary. So I do train. I'm
the country's only trainer of police officers and paramedics to
understand the disabled in the field. So I do talks
(07:58):
around safer interactions between both communities. I do a workability
presentation on helping the disability community obtain gainful employment. I've
done lots of different talks with the Impact Institute over
the years and I just adore them. They are kind
of like my family at this.
S1 (08:17):
Point, working.
S2 (08:18):
Together for so long. Please, please, if you haven't come
across to one of our expos, they're free to attend.
Melbourne is coming up on the 21st and 22nd of November,
and keep an eye out on the schedule for 2026.
It's already got a really impressive lineup.
S1 (08:35):
Alright, we'll put details of the Expo and also Impact
Institute on our show notes as well. You talked about
interaction with first responders, police, etc. of course, people with
disabilities are overrepresented when it comes to justice system as well.
So it's such an important thing that in a sense,
that first point of contact that a police officer may
have with a person with a disability.
S2 (08:55):
It's so critical and there's lots of miscommunications. There's lots
of misrepresentation of what physical attributes can look like to
a first responder. And it's been my journey over the
course of the last nearly ten years, going across the
country free of charge and training police officers in person
(09:15):
and online to bridge that communication gap and make sure
that the disability community is safe. They have reduced trauma
and they understand what their legal rights as well are
for any interaction. So it's a very powerful dialogue. Being
able to be in my position and work with both
first responders and the disability community.
S1 (09:37):
Catherine good luck. You don't need luck. I'm sure you'll
do another great job the 21st and 22nd. The Melbourne
Disability Expo, as you said to attend, is free. We'll
put those details up in our show notes. And also
the venue is very, very accessible, which is important as well. Catherine,
I'd love to chat to you in the future. Thank
you for some time this afternoon.
S2 (09:53):
Thank you so much. My pleasure.
S1 (09:55):
Thanks, Catherine. They're a great advocate and also one of
the keynote speakers at this year's Melbourne Disability Expo.
The Melbourne Disability Expo is coming up on the 21st
and 22nd of November. We're about to give you a
personal invitation via the radio, and one of the keynote
speakers is our guest, Catherine. Catherine, welcome and thanks so
much for your time.
S2 (00:25):
Oh, thank you for having me on the show. I
really appreciate it.
S1 (00:28):
How much are you looking forward to this? Do you
enjoy this sort of public awareness and spreading the word
about the work that you do, and the importance of
access and inclusion?
S2 (00:35):
I think it's so critical for our community to have
these opportunities to not only speak to you, but to
be part of such a wonderful event that Impact Institute
puts on. It raises awareness, it brings the community together,
but it brings people outside of the disability world into
our spaces so we can create more inclusive spaces out
(00:58):
in that general public. So I think it's really important,
the work that we do.
S1 (01:02):
Fantastic. And I guess, you know, I often say to people,
everyone potentially is but a heartbeat away from either being
on the NDIS or needing support in this area, even
though you might be impacted or affected at this very moment.
You just never know what's around the corner.
S2 (01:16):
Absolutely. You never know what's going to happen tomorrow. And
at some point we all age and we become vulnerable. So,
you know, I think the more that we can discuss
and have these opportunities, people become more educated. And the
more education that you have, the more empathy that you
can have for somebody who you may not share the
(01:36):
lived experience right here in this moment, but I bet you,
you know somebody in your network or in your family
that has been affected by some disability, whether it's temporary
or permanent.
S1 (01:49):
And of course, you know, disability is such a broad brush,
isn't it? Can be psychological, emotional, physical. People that might
be neurodivergent, etc. there's a number of categories under that
major category, if I can put it that way.
S2 (02:00):
Yes, you're absolutely right. The list of disabilities and vulnerabilities
are extensive, and they're not all visible. You hear this
term all the time, but just show kindness. You never
know what somebody is going through. And in a world
of social media and keyboard warriors, if you don't understand it,
be polite. Ask a question if you're genuinely curious, and
(02:24):
if you've got something not so kind to say. Scroll
on by.
S1 (02:30):
I like that I'll write that down. I think I'll
use that in the future. Catherine I'll credit you with
it now. Another thing is that there's so much information
and so many services out there, and so many different
ways to access things. Something like this Melbourne Disability Expo,
200 plus organisations or service providers, all in the one place,
kind of does save a bit of shoe leather or
indeed having to sort of search different sites, etc. to
(02:51):
have them all in one stop shop.
S2 (02:52):
The work that Impact Institute does across Australia. It's remarkable.
This year I believe we've been, I think, everywhere except
for Perth, and I know that Perth is on the
agenda for next year. They have been at the forefront
of creating these events where they bring together every walk
of life for the community, from first responders through to
(03:16):
service providers and most importantly, the disability community themselves. Having
a safe space where they can openly be themselves, they
can explore services with dignity and walk away empowered to
hopefully reach out to somebody that can support them in
their day to day life and make them have just
(03:37):
a more fulfilling day to day life.
S1 (03:40):
Part of the focus that the Impact Institute has had
throughout this year has been connecting employers and potential employees,
and we actually spoke to Catherine Kerr a few weeks ago,
been to Darwin, and out of that, within a day
or so an apprenticeship had eventuated, which was such a
powerful thing. And I guess we all do what we
do because we think we're doing a good job and
we love it. But when you hear results like that,
(04:00):
you think, well, this is really worthwhile for sure.
S2 (04:03):
The workability component of the Expos this year has been
such a valuable asset. I've had the pleasure of presenting
within that workability space, as well as the disability expo space,
and the questions that come out from people who are
looking to have gainful employment, and then employers sitting there saying, hi,
(04:25):
I'm ready for people to come and work with our
organisation and marrying. Those two have just been so impressive
and really, honestly life changing because at the end of
the day, emotional satisfaction really does tie in hand in
hand with financial gain. So if you are credibly working
(04:46):
and earning a living, it changes your mental health and
your wellbeing and they are tied together. So this workability
that Impact Institute has put on this year has changed
so many lives for the better. It's just been awesome.
S1 (04:59):
And the punctuality, the reliability, the loyalty of particularly employees
with disabilities, it's kind of a good investment from a
business point of view.
S2 (05:08):
Couldn't agree with you more. Everybody, every single person has
attributes that they bring to any organization. And just like
finding your perfect partner in life, it's the same thing
with finding the right employer for you and in the
disability space. Sometimes we need to identify the red flags
or the green flags before we take on a role.
(05:31):
And it's really about empowering our community to ensure that
they ask the questions of the future employer to make
sure that it's going to be a right fit. And
when that right fit happens, as you know, it's magical.
It can be wonderful.
S1 (05:45):
It maybe even better than a good relationship. Well, maybe
equally as good. We won't go there. Of course. The
other another thing is I talked about the reliability and
punctuality and the loyal employees. The other thing is it
kind of adds a bit of perspective to the workplace,
a bit of diversity, a bit of inclusion that those
sort of things that, again, are kind of intangible but
tangible at the same time in 2025.
S2 (06:06):
Moving into 2026, I think a lot more awareness in
employment is there, and you've seen major billion dollar organizations
or very big organizations leading for many years with inclusivity
and really wanting to have that triple bottom line and
that social inclusion. And I think the more organizations that
(06:27):
we can get bringing in a diverse workforce, the better
it is for everybody. I think we've learned from Covid
that the old methodology of working doesn't really make it
or cut it anymore. We've got people working from home,
we've got people doing shared job responsibilities. We now have
(06:47):
people working in different countries or different states, and they
all contribute in different ways. And so bringing now the
disability community to the forefront just adds a really wonderful
layer into the employment pool.
S1 (07:04):
Than just a little bit about your keynote. We're rapidly
running out of time. We could talk for ages. What's
your kind of message? And also happy to chat to
people afterwards and maybe do a bit of Q&A, that
sort of stuff as well.
S2 (07:14):
Absolutely. What I do, I make sure that I have
time to speak to every single person that would like
to engage with me at the end of my keynote talks.
It's so humbling to get off the stage and have
a line of people there who are willing to share
their vulnerabilities and trust me with some of their stories. And,
(07:36):
you know, some of their stories have not necessarily been kind,
and they face a lot of discrimination and they face
a lot. So to have that level of trust when
I get off the stage is impressive. The types of
talks that I do vary. So I do train. I'm
the country's only trainer of police officers and paramedics to
understand the disabled in the field. So I do talks
(07:58):
around safer interactions between both communities. I do a workability
presentation on helping the disability community obtain gainful employment. I've
done lots of different talks with the Impact Institute over
the years and I just adore them. They are kind
of like my family at this.
S1 (08:17):
Point, working.
S2 (08:18):
Together for so long. Please, please, if you haven't come
across to one of our expos, they're free to attend.
Melbourne is coming up on the 21st and 22nd of November,
and keep an eye out on the schedule for 2026.
It's already got a really impressive lineup.
S1 (08:35):
Alright, we'll put details of the Expo and also Impact
Institute on our show notes as well. You talked about
interaction with first responders, police, etc. of course, people with
disabilities are overrepresented when it comes to justice system as well.
So it's such an important thing that in a sense,
that first point of contact that a police officer may
have with a person with a disability.
S2 (08:55):
It's so critical and there's lots of miscommunications. There's lots
of misrepresentation of what physical attributes can look like to
a first responder. And it's been my journey over the
course of the last nearly ten years, going across the
country free of charge and training police officers in person
(09:15):
and online to bridge that communication gap and make sure
that the disability community is safe. They have reduced trauma
and they understand what their legal rights as well are
for any interaction. So it's a very powerful dialogue. Being
able to be in my position and work with both
first responders and the disability community.
S1 (09:37):
Catherine good luck. You don't need luck. I'm sure you'll
do another great job the 21st and 22nd. The Melbourne
Disability Expo, as you said to attend, is free. We'll
put those details up in our show notes. And also
the venue is very, very accessible, which is important as well. Catherine,
I'd love to chat to you in the future. Thank
you for some time this afternoon.
S2 (09:53):
Thank you so much. My pleasure.
S1 (09:55):
Thanks, Catherine. They're a great advocate and also one of
the keynote speakers at this year's Melbourne Disability Expo.
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