Voices for Change

In memory of Kevin Maloney RIP ❤️

Sadly missed.

Kevin was an original member of Voices for Change.

He loved the group. He was chilled. He was lovable.

Kevin loved to use the self-advocacy cheer 'Nothing About Us Without Us'.

Kevin, if only you could see us now...

We will never forget you, Kevin ❤️

We were very excited recently to welcome visitors from Japan. The Japanese Bar Association visited us to learn about self-advocacy for people with disability and criminal justice system experience.

The research team was interested in the question of agency and voice for people with lived experience as there is currently a broad movement for prison reform in Japan, including model programs for people with cognitive disabilities and addiction. However, awareness of the strong occurence of people having Acquired Brain Injury in the criminal justice system is lacking in Japan, in contrast to Australia where there is increasing recognition.

Voices for Change member, Michael Mayne, spoke with interpreter, Masahiko Mizuto, about his lived experience and his journey to becoming a disability-justice self-advocate with Voices for Change. We also welcomed Managing Lawyer in Criminal Law and Drug Outreach at Fitzroy Legal Service, Adam Willson, to the conversation, as well as Stan Winford, Fitzroy Legal Service alum and now-Associate Director of the Centre for Innovative Justice‬. Stan and his team are leaders in progressive research and thought about cognitive disability in the criminal justice system.

Thanks to Masahiko and his team for visiting Voices for Change. We would like to go to Japan one day and visit you in return.

The full 9mn film can be viewed on our YouTube channel:

Japanese Bar Association visits Voices for Change We were very excited recently to welcome visitors from Japan. The Japanese Bar Association visited us to learn about self-advocacy for people with disability...