Principal Solicitor, Association for Employees with a Disability (AED) Legal Service
Kairsty draws on her training and experience as a nurse, a lawyer, a single mother, a trade union advocate and personal injury private practice, in her current work as a human rights lawyer and disability advocate.
Kairsty was instrumental in the founding of the Association of Employees with a Disability trading as AED Legal Centre, a state wide service based in the Melbourne CBD. This legal service has been providing representation, advocacy and support for persons with a disability who are being discriminated against because of their disability in the areas of employment, education and training since 2008.
A major highlight during Kairsty’s leadership at AED has been her advocacy to improve the wages and working conditions for people with disability working in business services, now known as Australian Disability Enterprises. This work for people with disabilities was formally recognised by the legal profession in 2011, when the Law Institute of Victoria awarded Kairsty with the Community Lawyer of the Year Award.
Sessions
Real change or short changed?
Monday 4th August, 2014: 1:30am - 2:30am
Hear from AED Legal Service and Villamanta Disability Rights Legal Services campaign leaders about how they achieved systemic change through grassroots advocacy. What strategies did they use? Did they achieve real change or find themselves short-changed? What would they do differently in future? The session canvases AED’s work to secure fair wage rates for people with an intellectual disability and Villamanta’s campaign against the fee hike for people living in community residential units.
Employment for people with disability
Tuesday 27th March, 2012: 3:00am - 4:00am
Explore the facts, statistics and experiences of people with disabilities in open employment, supported employment, unemployment and under employment both here and New Zealand.
Rights Retrospective
Thursday 1st September, 2016: 3:30am - 5:30am
This special multi-media event marks the 30th anniversary of funded disability advocacy in Victoria. We will be reminded of the campaigns and personalities that have been telling the story of disability advocacy, how integral these were in building a rich history, and how this strong foundation is what we build on to create a future where rights are respected for all.