9 minute read
The SA Woman Disability Award
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For a disabled woman in business or career who has created a growing business or thriving career, and contributes to the positive conversation about disabled people at work (through deliberate campaigns or simply by leading through example).
Proudly sponsored by: The Growing Space Proudly sponsored by: The Growing Space
THE SA WOMAN DISABILITY AWARD
Embrace your superpower
Keli Doubikin was the inaugural winner of The Disabled Woman in Business Award in 2021. She is the founder of Spiral Coordination, which was started in December 2019, when Keli realised that the NDIS industry and its participants needed more quality services. She started with a borrowed laptop, her kitchen table and two families who trusted her to support them. Spiral Coordination is now a small team of people who provide support for people living with disability, across several different programs.
My kids, who are my WHY!, they are the reason I get up every morning and why I fight for the system to change, for people to live as independently as possible, to achieve anything they set their minds to because they deserve a life where their disability is their superpower and not their curse.
These were the inspiring words that Keli Doubikin's acceptance speech finished on after becoming the inaugural winner The Disabled Woman in Business Award in 2021.
The way her speech began also really summed up what this meant to Keli. "It was an honour to be nominated, even more so to be named a finalist. To be named the inaugural 2021 Disabled Woman in Business has to be one of the biggest things to happen in my world, especially this year." We are now keen to hear what she's been up to since winning, and the wisdom she'd love to impart to other women in business with a disability.
// It was wonderful to see you become the first winner of The SA Woman Disability Award in 2021 – so incredibly deserving of it! What challenges and triumphs have you had in business with Spiral Coordination over the past year?
Over the last 12 months there have been significant changes within Spiral Coordination, most recently with massive shifts in the type of supports and the way they are provided. In this time, I have also been battling some significant health issues. // What have been your biggest lessons from being in business?
To trust myself! That bigger isn’t always better and just because society say things should be one way doesn’t mean they have to. To do what makes me happy and the rest just falls into place. Build a solid team of people around you and that you don’t have to be everything to everybody all the time. It’s ok to ask for help and messing up will happen, own it, learn from it and move on.
// What would you love to say to other disabled women wanting to go into business?
Do it! Don’t let other people’s expectations rule your decisions. My disability is my superpower and I embrace it.
You CAN achieve anything you set your mind to. It might be a little harder, look a little different but it you will be great.
To read Keli's acceptance speech in full, follow this QR code.
Discover more about Keli and her team at Spiral Coordination at facebook.com/spiralcoordination
Natalie Wade, Equality Lawyers, was the People's Choice Winner of The Disabled Woman in Business Award in 2021.
THE SA WOMAN DISABILITY AWARD
2022 Finalists
TAMMIE LEE, SUNNY SPECTRUM SUPPORTS
Tammie’s journey as a business owner began when she opened her medical transcription business in 2019. This changed Tammie’s career trajectory as she finally found her passion, and (another) autistic special interest. Business. Over the subsequent years, Tammie’s livedexperiences coupled with her special interests led her to realise the urgent need for support, understanding and education around autism and neurodivergence from firsthand perspectives. After formalised training to expand her skillset and putting together a team, Sunny was born. Tammie has since authored a children’s book, 'Billy’s Brain', that is intended to be utilised as a resource for neurodivergent children.
To connect with Tammie Lee and discover more about her work, follow this QR code. What key moments led you to starting your business?
Realising that the very specific support that I needed for myself and my children didn't exist - or if it did, it was very difficult to find!
I thought, "Surely it is not just me having this trouble?!".
So, I went ahead and made it exist for other people like me.
What do you love most about being in business?
Being able to dictate the work/life balance I need for myself and my family. Previously, I was so immersed in my career and would hyper-fixate to the point that I never switched off. I would always be racing the clock to pick up my youngest from after school care. I am not saying that it doesn't still happen sometimes, but I am now able to 'clock off' when I need to. My PA also has very specific instructions to (try and) kick me out of the door at 5pm.
I am also able to take my children to their appointments without having to 'worry' about asking for time off.
What change do you want to see for women in business?
Flexible working arrangements, adjustments to workloads, and understanding of each person's unique needs. Not only for women and parents, but for any employee who is experiencing any type of adversity.
What key moments led you to starting your business? There is a significant barrier of misjudgement and lack of knowledge between the brain injury world and the wider community. As a result, people with brain injuries are left unsupported, isolated or even forgotten about and may struggle immensely. After my traumatic workplace accident in 2018 left me recovering from a brain injury, I began journaling my rehabilitation experiences in the hopes that it would support my family and friends to better understand what I was going through. After seeing the positive impact my writing was having on them, I decided to publish a blog called The Orange Butterfly in the hopes it would support others. Soon after publishing, I was receiving messages from people across the world expressing their gratitude that my story had changed their life, how it helped them to better explain to others what they were going through, and how they no longer felt alone and isolated.
What do you love most about what you're doing?
There is nothing I love more, and nothing that continues to drive my passion and work more than seeing firsthand the impact it has on someone’s life. From sharing a blog entry, social media post, to meeting people in person and seeing the community grow through my inclusive Butterfly Hour events. What I love most about my work is knowing that I can personally support people through the many stages of recovery, offer guidance and advice, create a community they can depend on always, and be in the position to educate and spread awareness across the community to continue to drive change and move towards the ultimate goal of an inclusive and accessible community for all.
In 5 years from now, what would you love to be celebrating? In 5 years time, I hope to be celebrating the achievements of individuals with brain injury and disability excel in whatever they have chosen to do in their life, without the fear of attitudes and unconscious bias holding them back from achieving their goals. I hope to be celebrating the fact that we live in a diverse, inclusive and accepting community where we honour the importance of evolving as one, educating ourselves and forever having conversations that lead to positive change and impact for the disability community, and ultimately the community as a whole. In 5 years time, I hope brain injury is less of a taboo topic, driven through the continued work of The Orange Butterfly Organisation where we have personally supported individuals throughout their recovery providing updated equipment, mentorship, and continued community education and support.
LAUREN SPEAR, THE ORANGE BUTTERFLY
Lauren Spear is a qualified special education teacher with extensive experience supporting and teaching students with diverse disabilities. As a result of a traumatic workplace accident in 2018, Lauren has spent the last 4 years recovering and living with a traumatic brain injury. She now dedicates her time mentoring, educating and advocating with the brain injury and disability communities through her roles with Brain Injury SA, JFA Purple Orange, and her personal blog and organisation 'The Orange Butterfly'. The Orange Butterfly acts as a reminder for us all to embrace new life and difficult changes with hope and positivity.
To connect with Lauren Spear and discover more about her work, follow this QR code.
THE SA WOMAN DISABILITY AWARD
BIANCA LURASCHI, BRIGHT STAR SUPPORT SERVICES SA
We are a Disability and Mental Health service with a niche in Autism. At Bright Star we believe in connection through compassion and kindness. We strive to provide support from a place of compassion and connection, within the community. Our promise to you is that we will be there to support you so that you will be able to have the best possible outcome in your life’s journey. The Bright Star Team work from a person-centred approach. This means we listen to what you want and need, and we try to support you the best we can to make that happen.
To connect with Bianca Luraschi and discover more about her business, follow this QR code. What key moments led you to starting your business? It wasn't really a moment it was a person and that was my son. He is autistic with an intellectual disability and I saw a gap in services with the lack of person-centred wrap around approach. What I love most about my business is walking alongside people on their journeys of growth and making a gentle change through the simple essence of Kindness.
What is the best piece of advice you’ve received about being in business?
There will be hard days and challenges but always stay true to your heart and what makes your business different to everyone else.
What is the biggest thing you have learnt from being in business?
That I can do it and that anything is possible!!
What obstacles and opportunities have you found from being a woman in busines? I have faced many obstacles not only as a woman in business but as an Autistic woman in business. Having to challenge the social stigma that comes along with autism but also the continual opportunities of bringing awareness around autism and how it has helped my clients know that being autistic doesn’t have to stop you.
In 5 years from now, what would you love to be celebrating? I would love to be celebrating the growth in the disability field and seeing my business continue to flourish. I would love to break the stigma around disability.
What has being involved in the 2022 SA Woman Awards brought to your life? A lot of excitement and a real humbling experience as I feel I couldn't achieve this without the families we support and my amazing staff and work colleagues.
