Dwayne Fernandes

Dwayne Fernandes (He/him). He is an Indian-Born Australian who is a New South Wales (NSW) State Government HR Project Manager and works on accessibility outcomes for NSW citizens. Dwayne is also a co-founder of Minds at Play and Inclusion & Disability Expert Advisors (IDEAs) Services.

Minds At Play is a National Social Gaming company in Australia that builds essential social and communication skills for players to allow them to grow confidence in making friends and obtaining employment by playing Dungeons and Dragons and Minecraft.

Dwayne is a Double Amputee from the age of 11 and has recently been diagnosed with ADHD.  He has world records in stair climbing and retro running and now one of 16 Astro Access Ambassador working on disability inclusion in space and the only Australian going on the second AstroAccess parabolic flight with Zero Gravity Corporation.

Zoë Rose

People with ADHD often do things in an unconventional order, and Zoë is no exception. She became interested in accessibility and design for disability long before her ADHD diagnosis, and before acquiring a mobility impairment.

Zoë is a user experience designer by trade, and a teacher by training. She brings these skills together in her work as a trainer and design educator, delivering engaging, practical know-how on disability topics from the deeply technical to the profoundly personal. 

Zoë’s career spans the UK, Melbourne, and Canberra, and she has worked for organisations like the BBC, Cambridge University Press, Seek, and PwC, among others. 

Haydn Payne

Haydn has a passion for supporting members of the neurodiverse community with complex needs, and draws from extensive lived experience of many conditions within the neurodiversity spectrum (ADHD, ASD, Tourette’s syndrome) as a mentor, dual diagnosis psychosocial recovery coach and trainer and assessor, 

Haydn is the designer of STAVES sensory management method, and the PATHWAY peer mentorship course for neurodiverse youth and young adults designed to equip them with the life, social and resilience skills to succeed in the neurotypical world, and of SPECTRUM-MUMS a skills course and social group for Mums and female carers of neurodiverse tweens and teens supporting their neurodiverse children on the pathway to independence.

Haydn also provides training in neurodiversity awareness, reasonable adjustment and cost effective support for employers, educators and experts.

When he’s not running programs, Haydn is a writer, public speaker, blogger, podcaster and professional nerd enjoying archery, martial arts and tabletop gaming.

Sara Shams

Born with a very rare congenital anomaly known as tibial hemimelia, Sara became a bilateral through knee amputee at a young age. Not only has this made Sara more adaptive, resilient and determined to achieve her goals, she is now using her lived experience as a disabled person to help others unlock their potential. 

Professionally, Sara is a policy and project pharmacist who values health and understands the significance of effective public health policies that improve the lives of every individual, including those with disabilities. She has passion for making a positive impact on healthcare and is currently studying for a Master of Public Health.

Sara is a strong disability advocate, determined to change perceptions of people with disability and assist organisations to improve culture and practices to make it a fair and equitable environment for all. Sara is also passionate about increasing representation of people with disabilities in various industries and creating a world that is accessible, diverse and inclusive. In 2022, Sara walked on various fashion runways, including Brisbane Fashion Week, and has been involved in marketing campaigns for fashion brands. Sara is a true believer in ’embracing your quirks’.