About Us

Who are we?

Women with Disabilities Victoria (WDV) is a not-for-profit Disabled Peoples Organisation (DPO) representing women with disabilities in Victoria.

We are run for and by women and non-binary people with all kinds of disabilities. Our members are people of all ages, backgrounds and lifestyles.

Women with disabilities are often treated unfairly because of our gender and/or disability. At WDV, we advocate for our right to safety and respect, with a focus on health services, violence prevention and leadership.

What do we do?

  • We support women with disabilities to achieve their leadership and advocacy goals. 
  • We create resources to help women with disabilities to learn and speak out about their rights.
  • We work collaboratively with the disability sector, family violence prevention services, and other community organisations to improve gender and disability inclusion.
  • We research issues that affect women with disabilities.
  • We campaign on issues that impact our community, challenging harmful attitudes about gender and disability.
  • We advocate for changes to laws and policies to improve the lives of women with disabilities.
  • We provide expert advice to government.

Our Vision

A world where all women are respected and can fully experience life.

Our Mission

To advance real social and economic inclusion for women with disabilities in Victoria, we will:

  • Be a voice for women with disabilities.
  • Create opportunities for women with disabilities to be visible and to be heard in their communities.
  • Build partnerships to deliver the best results for women with disabilities.
  • Engage the community to challenge attitudes and myths about women with disabilities.
Graphic of an older woman with her hand raised.
Graphic of a woman with sunglasses and a guide dog.
Graphic of a woman in a wheelchair with a phone.
Graphic of a woman with purple hair holding a baby.

Our Values

  • Equal Opportunity
  • Accessibility
  • Respect
  • Collaboration
  • Effectiveness
  • Creativity
  • Diversity
  • Accountability

Our Strategic Plan

For more detail about our purpose, approach, goals and strategies, you can take a look at our 2021-2024 Strategic Plan:
 
Front cover of Strategic Plan 2021 - 2024
The WDV Logo above a photograph of group of 16 women, some with visible disabilities, posed together and smiling. Text below reads: Claiming our future.

Our History: 1995-2010

WDV has a strong history in the feminist and disability rights movements. A comprehensive report on our humble beginnings and major successes in policy, advocacy and empowerment can be found here:
 

Our Constitution

WDV’s constitution was last updated in 2017. You can read the word version here.