Our Story

History of our movement

The origins of First Peoples Disability Network Australia (FPDN) can be traced back to a national gathering of First Nations people with disability in Alice Springs in 1999. This historic meeting marked the first time that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with disability united under a shared purpose to advance their rights and amplify their voices.

Early Advocacy and the Concept of ‘Double Disadvantage’

While this formal movement emerged in 1999, the advocacy to address the social inequities faced by First Nations people with disability extends back several decades. Our Founding Elder, Uncle Lester Bostock, was a trailblazer in this space. As early as 1991, he publicly introduced the concept of ‘double disadvantage’ — referring to the intersecting experiences of racism and ableism faced by many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with disability.

Founding Elder, Uncle Lester Bostock, photo by Belinda Mason OAM ©

The Birth of a Movement

In 2000, Uncle Lester Bostock, together with FPDN’s founding and current CEO, Damian Griffis, began work to establish the Aboriginal Disability Network of New South Wales (ADN NSW). Some of the Elders who were instrumental in shaping this early journey included Uncle John Foster, Aunty Jenny Thompson, Aunty Kay Sadler, Aunty Maureen Logan, Aunty Ros Sackley, Kim Curtis, and Maree Hutchinson.

Meanwhile, across other states and territories, leaders such as Uncle Willie Prince, Byron Albury, Aunty Gayle Rankine, and Uncle Paul Calcott were building networks of support and advocacy for First Nations people with disability within their own communities.

Group at a workshop in Northern Territory

Community-Led, Volunteer-Driven

In the early years, this work was largely voluntary and received little to no funding. In 2003, Uncle Lester and Damian, with support from People with Disability Australia (PWDA), visited 33 communities across New South Wales to meet with First Nations people with disability and listen to their experiences. This work culminated in the first report based on those lived experiences, which exposed serious human rights abuses. The report, titled Telling It Like It Is, remains a critical resource in understanding the systemic disadvantage faced by our people.

Regrettably, more than 20 years later, many First Nations people with disability continue to experience human rights violations across areas such as housing, education, health, and the justice system.

Gathering of people with disabilities in NT

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The Formation of FPDN

In 2007, the Aboriginal Disability Network NSW received a small grant of just $60,000 to support the establishment of a national peak body of and for First Nations people with disability. With this funding, a national gathering was held in Redfern, bringing together First Nations advocates from across the country. Alongside the leaders already mentioned, participants included Uncle Steve Widders, Uncle John Baxter, and Aunty Sandra Collard. At this meeting, delegates chose the name we proudly carry today — First Peoples Disability Network (Australia).

Australian Delegation at the United National CRPD

Growing a National Voice

Since 2010, FPDN has been on a steady growth journey, beginning with a single paid employee, Damian Griffis. He was soon joined by Lai Ha Wu, June Riemer, and Luke O’Connell, and the organisation gradually expanded with support from small grants provided by the Commonwealth and New South Wales Governments.

Today, FPDN is a respected national peak organisation, led by highly capable and deeply committed staff located across the country, working to uphold the rights of First Nations people with disability and to ensure their voices are heard at all levels of decision-making.

Strong Purpose, Enduring Commitment

Our core purpose — to advance the rights and interests of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with disability — remains just as vital today as it was at the historic national gathering in 1999. Since that defining moment, FPDN has been a strong and consistent advocate for the rights, needs, and interests of our people with disability, focusing on the practical issues and policies that affect our communities every day.

The reality remains that most Australians with disability, let alone First Nations people with disability, experience some form of discrimination every day of their lives.

Resilience Through Change

The organisation has endured through changing governments, the closure of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission, and significant shifts across both the disability and Indigenous affairs sectors — all while the dominant medical model of disability continues to pervade Australian society today. The reality remains that most Australians with disability, let alone First Nations people with disability, experience some form of discrimination every day of their lives.

FPDN’s resilience is a direct result of the lifelong commitment and leadership of our founding Elders and CEO Damian Griffis. In 2014, FPDN became a registered company limited by guarantee.