Open Dialogue is a national project bringing people with disability together from across Australia to share stories, ideas and experiences through disability-led events, projects and conversations. At the heart of the project is Rise Up, the official peer group for Open Dialogue, where members meet regularly to discuss these topics together.
At its core, Open Dialogue builds knowledge and connection, helping people with disability understand their rights under the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disability (CRPD), explore different types of advocacy, and share this knowledge so more people can speak up with confidence.
The project also builds practical, everyday skills: knowing how and when to speak up, how to ask for support, and how to prepare for meetings. Through Rise Up, participants also develop group decision-making, negotiation, and mutual support skills, alongside lived experience storytelling, turning personal experience into a tool for change.
Inclusion sits at the heart of Open Dialogue, exploring what genuine inclusion looks like and championing accessible communication, so every conversation and event is one that everyone can be part of.