Community of Practice – Thursday 20 August 2026

Topic: Rethinking Co-Design with Autistic People: Barriers, Belonging, and Lessons Learnt

We are pleased to announce that Autism CRC are guest presenters at our upcoming online Disability Reform Community of Practice. Their presentation will provide an understanding of autism and neurodiversity, explore what genuine co-design looks like with autistic people, and how intersectionality shapes participation, voice, and access.

This session will unpack the barriers autistic people often face in traditional co-design processes and share practical ways to make co-design more engaging and accessible. Drawing on Autism CRC’s Self-Advocacy@Work program, presenters will discuss how upskilling autistic people can build confidence and capability that loops back into community and other co-design spaces.

The presentation will run for approximately 40 minutes, followed by an open Q&A panel discussion featuring co-designers with lived experience, and practical resources for attendees to take away.

About the presenters:

Ashton Bartz

Ashton joined Queenslanders with Disability Network (QDN) as Project Support Officer with the Disability Reforms team in May 2026. Prior to this role, they spent seven years as Research and Community Engagement Officer and Project Officer at Autism CRC, where they played an integral role in the development and delivery of the Sylvia Rodger Academy, an initiative that delivers programs by and for autistic adults across Australia.

With qualifications in Youth Work and Autism Studies, Ashton has worked across the non-profit and local government sectors, with a focus on program development, community engagement, and inclusive practice. They are currently undertaking a Master of Education and Professional Studies Research at Griffith University, with their thesis exploring autism and employment. Ashton was diagnosed as autistic in 2013, bringing lived experience and professional expertise to their work.

Brendan James

A man with short dark hair smiling at the camera
Brendan is a Product Manager with over a decade of experience building software and digital platforms across government, education, and the social impact sector. His work is grounded in inclusive co-design and human-centred design, with a current focus on the role of generative AI in community services. Previously at Autism CRC, Brendan directed the myWAY Employability platform from concept to launch, co-designing with neurodiverse youth at every stage and growing it to 5,000+ users.

Cheryl Mangan

A woman with shoulder length light brown hair and wearing a brown jacket smiling at the camera.
With over 15 years in the not-for-profit sector, Cheryl has a wealth of experience translating research into evidence-based policy, programs and technology-based solutions. Cheryl has a proven track record of delivering effective and engaging products and programs that have been developed in partnership with the community. Cheryl believes that innovation starts with people and is passionate about creating spaces and processes that empower individuals and communities to co-design services and solutions.

About Autism CRC:

Autism CRC is the independent national source of evidence for best practice in relation to autism across the lifespan and the spectrum. They provide the national capacity to develop and deliver evidence-based outcomes through their unique collaboration with autistic people, families, professionals, services providers, researchers, and government. Together, they are addressing agreed needs and co-producing outputs with these stakeholders for the benefit of the community.

About the Community of Practice 

You are invited to participate in an online disability reform Community of Practice to share learnings about best practice co-design and hear reflections about co-design work. This is an opportunity to learn from peers and share your own learnings in a safe and supportive space.

This Community of Practice is being facilitated by Queenslanders with Disability Network (QDN) as part of our work delivering the Queensland Disability Stakeholder Engagement and Co-Design Strategy.

The Strategy was developed by Queenslanders with Disability Network (QDN), in consultation with people with disability and the disability sector and released on 30 September 2024. The Strategy will ensure that people with disability, their families and supporters, and sector stakeholders are actively involved in designing, testing, and implementing important disability reforms arising from recommendations of the Disability Royal Commission and NDIS Review.

Details:

This event will require a medium level of energy, including both a presentation and panel discussion.

The Community of Practice is open to:

members of the disability reform Co-design Team

disability reform project partner representatives

Queensland Government staff members, and

previous attendees of a disability reform community forum.

Meetings occur on the third Thursday of the month, once every 3 months. Meetings are hosted online on Zoom and run for 1.5 hours from 10am – 11:30am.

To register your interest in this meeting, please RSVP by clicking the following link to be added to the calendar invite: https://forms.office.com/r/WGmMFf9hmd

Find out more about our work here: https://qldcodesignstrategy.qdn.org.au/

If you have any questions, please contact the QDN Reforms Team by phone on 1300 363 783 or email admin@qdn.org.au

Privacy

QDN is committed to protecting the privacy of personal information obtained in the course of its operations from service users, members and supporters. We are bound by the provisions of the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth), including the Australian Privacy Principles. By attending this event, you agree to the Privacy Policy and consent to the collection and use of your personal information as described.

If you would like to read QDN’s Privacy Policy outlining how we handle your personal information, please click here: https://qdn.org.au/privacy/