2023 Symposium

The 2023 Ableist Cities Symposium brought together academics and industry experts to hear narratives of individual lived experience and co-designed research around disability and accessibility in cities. Sessions explored housing design, the consideration of neurodiverse individuals in the design of public spaces, and the relationship between government policy and inclusive design practice.

2023 Program

TimeSession

9:30am - 9:45am

Registrations Open

Tea and coffee on arrival

9:45am - 9:55am

Welcome and Acknowledgment of Country

Professor Sarah Bell, City of Melbourne Chair in Urban Resilience and Innovation, Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning

10:00am - 11:00am

Session One

Practice to Policy and Back Again

Speakers:

  • Aunty Roslyn Sackley, Accessibility Advisor, Switched on Services
  • Dr Sharon Kerr, Centre for Disability Research and Policy Faculty of Medicine and Health, the University of Sydney
  • Tonya Hinde, Billiard Leece Partnership
  • Valerie Watchorn, the University of Sydney

Moderator:

Associate Professor Peter Raisbeck, Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning, the University of Melbourne

11:00am - 11:15am

Morning Tea

11:15am - 12:15pm

Session Two

Making Space - Neurodiverse Spaces

Speakers:

  • Dr Andrew Martel, Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning, the University of Melbourne
  • Illiana Ginnis, Monash University and Architecture & Access
  • Anna Walker, Deakin University
  • Cathryn Grant, Architecture & Access

Moderator:

Dr Kirsten Day, Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning, the University of Melbourne

12:15pm - 1:00pm

Lunch

1:00pm - 2:00pm

Session Three

De-ableising Design: Housing, Schools and Aged Care

Speakers:

  • Belinda Seale, Deakin University
  • Magdalena Sliwinska, Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning, the University of Melbourne
  • Dr Andrew Martel, Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning, the University of Melbourne

Moderator:

Associate Professor Derlie Mateo-Babiano, Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning, the University of Melbourne

2:00pm - 2:45pm

Session Four

De-ableising Theory

Speakers:

  • Associate Professor Peter Raisbeck, Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning, the University of Melbourne
  • Dr Lauren Pikó, Research Assistant, Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning, the University of Melbourne

Moderator:

Dr Raelene West, Melbourne Disability Institute, the University of Melbourne

2:45pm - 3:00pm

Afternoon Tea

3:00pm - 3:45pm

Session Five

Accessible City: The Game

Speakers:

  • Associate Professor Eddie Paterson, Faculty of Arts, the University of Melbourne
  • Dr Radha O'Meara, Faculty of Arts, the University of Melbourne

Moderator:

Dr Kirsten Day, Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning, the University of Melbourne

3:45pm - 4:30pm

Keynote Lecture

Imagining Better

Speaker: Ross Coverdale

4:30pm - 4:35pm

Closing Remarks

Speaker: Peter Raisbeck