Disability advocate
Disability advocate
Karen McEwan
Karen McEwan
Advocacy, education, and lived experience to improve disability inclusion.
I am a late-diagnosed Autistic and ADHD person with lived experience of multiple and interconnected disabling conditions.
My disabilities aren’t always apparent to others or reflected in what people expect disability to look like.
This gives me a lived experience perspective on disability, accessibility, equity, and how we can create more inclusive communities and remove barriers across workplaces, education, healthcare, and services.
I am a late-diagnosed Autistic and ADHD person with lived experience of multiple and interconnected disabling conditions.
My disabilities aren’t always apparent to others or reflected in what people expect disability to look like.
This gives me a lived experience perspective on disability, accessibility, equity, and how we can create more inclusive communities and remove barriers across workplaces, education, healthcare, and services.
Current roles and projects
Current roles and projects
NDIA Participant Reference Group (PRG)
Provide lived experience input and consultation across NDIS policy, strategy, participant engagement, and future initiatives, offering feedback and advice from a participant perspective.
NDIA Participant Reference Group (PRG)
Provide lived experience input and consultation across NDIS policy, strategy, participant engagement, and future initiatives, offering feedback and advice from a participant perspective.
Autism NT Board — Secretary
Contribute to governance, organisational direction, strategic planning, and advocacy, bringing Autistic lived expertise and a contemporary, neuroaffirming perspective.
Autism NT Board — Secretary
Contribute to governance, organisational direction, strategic planning, and advocacy, bringing Autistic lived expertise and a contemporary, neuroaffirming perspective.
Autism NT — Volunteer
Volunteer across a range of Autism NT projects, resources, community activities, and organisational initiatives, providing practical support and lived experience input where needed.
Autism NT — Volunteer
Volunteer across a range of Autism NT projects, resources, community activities, and organisational initiatives, providing practical support and lived experience input where needed.
Autism NT Autistic Advisory Group
Leading the development of a structured way for Autistic Territorians to provide feedback and help inform programs, services, and advocacy priorities.
Autism NT Autistic Advisory Group
Leading the development of a structured way for Autistic Territorians to provide feedback and help inform programs, services, and advocacy priorities.
NT Government Disability Advisory Committee
Provide lived experience advice to the NT Government Minister for Disabilities and Office of Disabilities on policy, services, inclusion, and advocacy needs affecting disabled Territorians.
NT Government Disability Advisory Committee
Provide lived experience advice to the NT Government Minister for Disabilities and Office of Disabilities on policy, services, inclusion, and advocacy needs affecting disabled Territorians.
Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN) AuNZ Membership Engagement Advisory Group
Provide an NT and lived experience perspective on engaging Autistic people, including regional and remote communities, to increase ASAN's membership and engagement as part of their Thriving Autistic Advocacy Project.
Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN) AuNZ Membership Engagement Advisory Group
Provide an NT and lived experience perspective on engaging Autistic people, including regional and remote communities, to increase ASAN's membership and engagement as part of their Thriving Autistic Advocacy Project.
Autism SA — Autistics’ Guide to Adulthood Review
Contribute Autistic lived experience and professional financial counselling expertise to reviewing and updating accessible learning resources for Autistic adults, including developing new financial wellbeing content.
Autism SA — Autistics’ Guide to Adulthood Review
Contribute Autistic lived experience to the review of the guide, including using professional Financial Counselling expertise to assist with developing a new finances module.
Autism SA — Autistics’ Guide to Adulthood Review
Contribute Autistic lived experience and professional financial counselling expertise to reviewing and updating accessible learning resources for Autistic adults, including developing new financial wellbeing content.
Charles Darwin University — Autistic Lived Experience
Contribute lived experience expertise to professional education about Autism, including neuroaffirming practice and the experiences of Autistic adults.
Charles Darwin University — Autistic Lived Experience
Contribute lived experience expertise to professional education about Autism, including neuroaffirming practice and the experiences of Autistic adults.
Previous consultations and contributions
Previous consultations and contributions
City of Palmerston Disability Inclusion and Access Plan Review
Provided lived experience feedback on disability inclusion planning, including disability‑affirming language and stronger accountability for the City’s ongoing access and inclusion work.
City of Palmerston Disability Inclusion and Access Plan Review
Provided lived experience feedback on disability inclusion planning, including disability‑affirming language and stronger accountability for the City’s ongoing access and inclusion work.
NT Disability Strategy and Action Plan
Contributed lived experience feedback to the NT Government Office of Disability for the review of the Disability Strategy Action Plan 2025–2029, with a focus on disability inclusion across the Territory.
NT Disability Strategy and Action Plan
Contributed lived experience feedback to the NT Government Office of Disability for the review of the Disability Strategy Action Plan 2025–2029, with a focus on disability inclusion across the Territory.
National Autism Strategy consultations
Contributed Autistic lived experience through direct Australian Government consultation and consultation with Amaze and Reframing Autism, helping inform the development and implementation of the National Autism Strategy.
National Autism Strategy consultations
Contributed Autistic lived experience through direct Australian Government consultation and consultation with Amaze and Reframing Autism, helping inform the development and implementation of the National Autism Strategy.
Palmerston Secondary Specialist Education School — Expert Design Advisory Group
Provided disability lived experience input into the design for the new specialist education facility, with a focus on accessibility, inclusion, and the practical needs of students and families.
Palmerston Secondary Specialist Education School — Expert Design Advisory Group
Provided disability lived experience input into the design for the new specialist education facility, with a focus on accessibility, inclusion, and the practical needs of students and families.
Knowmore Disability & Inclusion Strategy
Provided feedback on contemporary disability terminology, the Human Rights Model of Disability, and explicit recognition of neurodiversity within Knowmore’s draft Disability & Inclusion Strategy.
Knowmore Disability & Inclusion Strategy
Provided feedback on contemporary disability terminology, the Human Rights Model of Disability, and explicit recognition of neurodiversity within Knowmore’s draft Disability & Inclusion Strategy.
NDIA media program
Participated in videos and promotional material sharing participant lived experience, encouraging NDIS participants to contribute their perspectives and take part in future engagement.
NDIA media program
Participated in videos and promotional material sharing participant lived experience, encouraging NDIS participants to contribute their perspectives and take part in future engagement.
ABC Radio — Autistic Lived experience
Shared an Autistic lived experience perspective in an ABC Radio interview, discussing the impact of harmful public narratives and misinformation about Autism on Autistic people.
ABC Radio — Autistic Lived experience
Shared an Autistic lived experience perspective in an ABC Radio interview, discussing the impact of harmful public narratives and misinformation about Autism on Autistic people.
