Disability Confidence Awards 2026 Finalists and Winners

The Disability Confidence Awards are Australia’s premier awards event for disability access and inclusion – the pinnacle of recognition for those who champion accessibility.

We are delighted to announce our 2026 finalists and award recipients below.

Disability Inclusion Changemaker of the Year

Finalists

• Katherine Alderson — Commonwealth Bank of Australia
• Ronny Andrade Parra — RMIT
• Prabha Bogoda Arachchige — Serco Asia Pacific
• Dr Kelsey Chapman — Inclusive Futures, Griffith University
• Cathy Easte — Griffith University
• Caroline Ghatt — Commonwealth Bank of Australia
• Akii Ngo — Victoria University
• Ant Raje — Transport for NSW

Award recipients

• Caroline Ghatt — Commonwealth Bank of Australia
• Dr Kelsey Chapman — Inclusive Futures, Griffith University

Emerging / Next Generation Leader of the Year

Finalists

• Lucy Abbott — Westpac Banking Corporation
• Anna Black — Commonwealth Bank of Australia
• Hayley Bowling — Publicis ANZ HQ/- Publicis Communications Australia Pty Ltd
• Fiona Herron — Commonwealth Bank of Australia
• Kiri Pedersen — KP Productions
• Jakob Suvaal — HealthShare NSW
• Brooke Szucs — University of Queensland
• Miana Von Klein — TPG Telecom Limited

Award recipient

• Miana Von Klein — TPG Telecom Limited

Digital Accessibility Progress

Finalists

• Advanced Personnel Management (APM)
• Coles Group Limited
• CQUniversity Australia
• NBN Co Limited
• NSW Department of Communities and Justice
• Plan Partners
• Queensland Disability Research Network
• Woolworths Group Limited

Award recipient

• Queensland Disability Research Network

Inclusive Marketing and Communications

Finalists

• Achieve Australia Ltd
• Bupa Australia Healthcare Holdings — Health Stories
• Bupa Australia Healthcare Holdings — No Board
• CareChoice
• My Plan Manager
• NBN Co Limited
• Plan Partners
• Youth Disability Advocacy Network

Award recipient

• Bupa Australia Healthcare Holdings — No Board

Inclusive Event and Space Design

Finalists

• Amplifii Music Festival
• Asahi Beverages
• Bupa Australia Healthcare Holdings
• Cahoots
• Embrace Inclusion Southwest
• NBN Co Limited
• Optus
• Queensland University of Technology
• TAL Life Limited

Inclusive Space Design Award recipient

• Queensland University of Technology

Inclusive Event Award recipient

• Amplifii Music Festival

Workforce Inclusion Initiative of the Year (Large)

Finalists

• Amazon Australia
• Konekt
• National Australia Bank Limited
• NSW Department of Communities and Justice
• NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure
• Publicis ANZ HQ/- Publicis Communications Australia Pty Ltd
• Revenue NSW
• Serco Asia Pacific

Award recipient

• NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure

Workforce Inclusion Initiative of the Year (SME)

Finalists

• Australian Spatial Analytics

Award recipient

• Australian Spatial Analytics

Customer Inclusion Initiative of the Year (Large)

Finalists

• City of Adelaide
• Commonwealth Bank of Australia
• Department of Parliamentary Services
• Legal Aid Commission of NSW
• National Australia Bank Limited
• TAL Life Limited
• The Walt Disney Company (Australia) Pty Ltd
• Victoria University

High Achiever Award recipient

• Commonwealth Bank of Australia
• TAL Life Limited

Award recipient

• The Walt Disney Company (Australia) Pty Ltd

Customer Inclusion Initiative of the Year (SME)

Finalists

• ACT Labor
• Annie’s House
• InSync Profiles
• Transform Life

Award recipient

• Annie’s House

DEN/ ERG of the Year (Large)

Finalists

• Commonwealth Bank of Australia
• Mars Incorporated Australia & New Zealand
• National Australia Bank Limited
• Publicis ANZ HQ/- Publicis Communications Australia Pty Ltd
• Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA)
• RMIT
• Scope (Aust) Ltd
• Westpac Banking Corporation

High Achiever recipient

• Scope (Aust) Ltd

Award recipient

• National Australia Bank Limited

DEN/ ERG of the Year (SME)

Finalists

• ANDPA

Winner

• ANDPA

Supervisor of the Year

Finalists

• Marina Booth — VIC Department of Education
• Lisa Dalgleish — QBE Insurance Group Ltd
• Professor Dimitria Groutsis and Dr Megan Osmond — University of Sydney
• Kim Kohlman — Dept of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sports and the Arts
• Jara Millward — National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA)
• Dr Amy-Leigh Rowe — University of Sydney
• Dr Elizabeth Stratton — University of Sydney

Award recipient

• Kim Kohlman — Dept of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sports and the Arts

Intern of the Year

Finalists

• Kris Arian — University of Sydney
• Matthew Denipitiya — VIC Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA)
• Colleen Lam — IAG
• Andrea Maggio — Women NSW
• Lisa Morii — VIC Department of Education
• Abdullah Naeem — QBE Insurance Group Ltd
• Sakoon Sharma — Australia Post

Award recipient

• Abdullah Naeem — QBE Insurance Group Ltd

Mentor of the Year

Finalists

• Alison Coutt — TAL
• Ashok Dixit — Pfizer Australia
• Stefan Jayawardana — Hanes Australasia Pty Ltd
• Liam Sanderson — Australian Federal Police
• Jeffery Schrale — ANZ Banking Group Ltd (Aust)
• Johanna Steyns — Qantas Airways Limited
• Steve Tu — AGL

Award recipient

• Johanna Steyns — Qantas Airways Limited​

Mentee of the Year

Finalists

• Zoe Atterbury — ANZ Banking Group Ltd (Aust)
• Nikki Chen — Australian Federal Police
• Emily Hellyer — Arup Pty Limited
• Ezlouve La Montreviene — Qantas Airways Limited
• Matthew Lee — RMIT
• Sarah McInnes — Physical Disability Australia
• Moira Negline — Coles Group Limited
• Jake Purdey — Department of Industry, Science and Resources
• Monica Song — Australian Federal Police

High Achiever recipient

• Monica Song — Australian Federal Police

Award recipient

• Jake Purdey — Department of Industry, Science and Resources