The Australian Government has today revealed the distinguished individuals selected as Ambassadors for the International Day of People with Disability (IDPwD) for 2025. These six ambassadors bring rich and varied lived experience, professional achievement and advocacy to the role; they will serve as public champions for inclusion, rights and the recognition of Australians with disability. The announcement underlines the government’s commitment to ensuring disability inclusion is celebrated not just on one day each year, but embedded in everyday life, across workplaces, communities and public life.
The IDPwD is observed annually on 3 December, and serves as a reminder of the rights and worth of more than five million Australians living with disability. The Ambassador program seeks to amplify voices, elevate role models and challenge attitudes that stand in the way of full participation for people with disability. For 2025, the chosen ambassadors are: Maree Jenner, Santiago Velasquez Hurtado, James Parr, Olivia Sidhu, Ronan Soussa and Isabella Choate.
Meet the 2025 Ambassadors
Maree Jenner is a long‐time advocate for community participation and inclusion. Her work focuses especially on school inclusion and social integration through programs such as Same but Different and Champions for Change. With a background supporting access and inclusion through local government and national arts organisations, she brings deep insight into how social barriers can be broken down, particularly for children and young people.
Santiago Velasquez Hurtado has combined his lived disability experience with a technical profession—earning a degree in electrical engineering—and evolving into an innovator, designer and company founder. He is driven to reshape how built environments, products and services cater for people with disability, and has spoken on international panels including at the United Nations. His work illustrates the intersection of lived experience and technical expertise.
James Parr, a proud Wiradjuri man, has built a compelling profile as a model, speaker, content creator, writer and athlete. Recognised for his work in the fashion and media industries, he has already earned high honours such as the GQ Model of the Year Award and inclusion in the Forbes 30 Under 30 list. His advocacy highlights how disability intersects with identity, culture and representation in new and powerful ways.
Olivia Sidhu is a passionate advocate for people with Down syndrome and wider disability rights. As a health ambassador for Down Syndrome Australia, and a civil society delegate at the United Nations, she has worked to educate health professionals, promote inclusive communication and improve health‐care outcomes for people with Down syndrome. Her voice brings attention to how health, disability and rights are deeply entwined.
Ronan Soussa, an autistic advocate, performer and pianist, rose to public recognition through his appearance on the show Love on the Spectrum on ABC/Netflix. He works to challenge stereotypes around autism and disability, promoting authenticity, self-expression and the importance of being able to live one’s life based on one’s own identity and strengths.
Isabella Choate is a young but already influential living‐experience advocate. Founder of Western Australia’s first Disability Pride Festival, and at age 25 CEO of the Youth Disability Advocacy Network, she also made the Forbes 30 Under 30 list and was a finalist for WA Young Person of the Year. She champions community building, young people with disability, and ensuring that the next generation of voices are heard loudly and clearly.
What Their Role Will Be
As ambassadors, these six individuals will engage in a national awareness campaign leading up to and around the 3 December observance. They will share personal stories, raise issues of inclusion and accessibility, and highlight how everyday attitudes and systems need to evolve so that people with disability are seen, valued and supported to fully participate in life. Their collective message will emphasise that disability inclusion isn’t a special add-on—it is a fundamental part of a fair and equitable society.
They will appear in a range of forums: public events, media engagements, community workshops and social-media activations. Through their distinct backgrounds, they will help reach many audiences—including schools, workplaces, cultural institutions, health services and wider society. This diversity of ambassadors is deliberate: it illustrates that disability is a broad, varied experience, and that inclusion demands an equally broad approach.
A Renewed Call to Action
In announcing the ambassadors, the Minister responsible for the NDIS reaffirmed that while IDPwD is one day on the calendar, its purpose is to remind all Australians of the rights and dignity of people with disability every day. The Minister urged the community, employers and individuals to actively challenge stereotypes, change attitudes and invite new ways of thinking about disability. She emphasised that all six ambassadors embody the values of resilience, leadership and change-making, and that their voices must be amplified beyond the hour-long meeting or the one-off celebration.
Why Diversity in Ambassadorship Matters
The selection of this year’s ambassadors reflects a commitment to diversity—not only in disability type, but also in age, culture, profession and geography. Representation matters: when people with disability see others who look like them, or who share aspects of identity or experience, they are more likely to feel empowered and included. The ambassador cohort includes Indigenous representation, culturally diverse cultural backgrounds, young leaders, innovators, health advocates, and creatives. In doing so, it sends a strong signal that disability inclusion is a societal responsibility, cutting across all sectors.
Moreover, the range of fields—engineering, modelling, health, performance, community advocacy—illustrates an important truth: people with disability contribute across every domain. They are entrepreneurs, academics, performers, community builders and more. The ambassadors’ stories help challenge limiting assumptions about what people with disability can or cannot do—and shift the narrative toward possibility, empowerment and leadership.
What This Means for the Disability Community
For people with disability and their families, the ambassador program offers role models, visibility and a pathway to greater recognition. It signals that governments and organisations are prepared to elevate lived experience voices and listen to the expertise that emerges from that experience. The ambassadors can open doors, raise issues and bring public attention to barriers that persist—whether they are structural, attitudinal, technological or cultural.
For employers, services and decision-makers, the announcement serves as a reminder of the importance of inclusion across policies, practices and culture. If someone with disability can become a high-profile model, engineer, advocate or festival founder—as the ambassadors demonstrate—then workplaces and institutions must create systems and supports that enable that level of participation.
For broader society, the message is clear: inclusion benefits everyone. When we remove barriers, celebrate diverse talent and build environments in which people of all abilities can succeed, we strengthen communities, economies and social connection. The ambassador initiative reminds the public that achieving inclusion is not passive; it requires active engagement, reflection and change.
Looking Ahead to December 3 and Beyond
In the weeks leading up to 3 December, the ambassador group will begin to share their reflections, stories and calls to action. They will engage with schools, workplaces and community groups to spark dialogue, host events and promote inclusive approaches. Preparations are underway for national and local activities that highlight the theme of this year’s day and invite participation from organisations of all sizes.
Following the day itself, the ambition is that the momentum continues: that inclusion becomes embedded not just in one event, but in strategy, policy, planning and culture. The message is that one day can catalyse progress—but real commitment means ongoing action.
A Closing Thought
This year’s ambassador announcement underscores that people with disability bring invaluable contributions, insights and leadership to our society. The six ambassadors—Maree Jenner, Santiago Velasquez Hurtado, James Parr, Olivia Sidhu, Ronan Soussa and Isabella Choate—are symbols of the change possible when inclusion is embraced and barriers are dismantled. Their stories will help carry the message throughout communities: that disability is not a limitation, but part of the diverse fabric of Australia’s talent and character.
As the country prepares to mark the International Day of People with Disability on 3 December 2025, the call is to recognise five million-plus Australians with disability today, tomorrow and every day. Inclusion isn’t a special event—it’s a mindset, a practice and a commitment that we must all share.
