Disability Advocacy ServiceSession 5 · 18 June 2026
PATH Leadership Group · Cohort 1 · Module 8
Session 5.
DAS · Mparntwe / Alice Springs01 / 21
Disability Advocacy Service11:00 · Welcome back
First, the most important thing
Acknowledgement of Country.
We acknowledge the Arrernte people as the Traditional Custodians of Mparntwe (Alice Springs).
We pay our respects to Elders past, present, and emerging.
We also acknowledge all the language groups across the Central Australia and Barkly region this program serves.
We pay our respects to all First Nations peoples whose knowledge, leadership, and lived experience guide this work.
We pay our respects to Elders past, present, and emerging.
We also acknowledge all the language groups across the Central Australia and Barkly region this program serves.
We pay our respects to all First Nations peoples whose knowledge, leadership, and lived experience guide this work.
Session 5 · Acknowledgement02 / 21
Disability Advocacy Service11:10 · Welcome back
Session 5 · Module 8
Welcome back.
- Last time we mapped what keeps us strong
- This week we look forward
- Big dreams. Goals. The shape of next year
- Next session - small steps, and getting ready for your PATH Plan day
Session 5 · Welcome back03 / 21
Key Word Signwelcome
Disability Advocacy Service11:12 · Today
What we'll do today.
11:15
Icebreaker - one thing you'd like to do in the next year
11:20
What is a goal?
11:30
Two leaders' stories - Joelle and Vivienne
11:50
My Future - your worksheet (booklet page 7)
12:00
Break - tea, water, fresh air
12:15
Finish My Future, then My Plans (pages 8 and 9)
12:40
Share-back - if you want to
12:50
Wrap-up, feedback, Appreciations & next week
VenueAkaltye Room, DKA
AssemblyStaff carpark · green sign
Session 5 · Today04 / 21
Key Word Signtoday
Disability Advocacy Service11:15 · Icebreaker
Quick round to start
One thing you'd like to do in the next year.
Could be small. Could be big.
Could be something you used to do and want to start again.
One thing each, short version. Mandy goes first.
Session 5 · Icebreaker05 / 21
Key Word Signwant
Disability Advocacy Service11:20 · What is a goal
Four ways to say it
What is a goal?
Something you might feel proud about if you do it.
Like a wish for the future.
Something you want to do or achieve.
Your dreams for the future.
You can have different goals for different parts of your life - health, work, hobbies, family, where you live.
Session 5 · What is a goal06 / 21
Key Word Signproud
Disability Advocacy Service11:25 · Big or small
Big, medium, small
Goals can be many shapes.
Big goal
"I want to live independently."
"I want to work full time."
"I want to work full time."
Medium goal
"I want to learn how to make a curry."
"I want to walk every morning."
"I want to walk every morning."
Small goal
"I want to call my sister this week."
"I want to organise my room."
"I want to organise my room."
All three are real goals. Not all leaders' goals are big.
Session 5 · Big or small07 / 21
Key Word Signcan
Disability Advocacy Service11:30 · Joelle's story
A leader's story · read aloud
Joelle and the school visit.
Joelle is in her thirties. She does her shopping at Coles, supports her younger niece with school pickup, and works two days a week at the local Anyinginyi clinic in the cleaning team.
She got a phone call from the local school principal last year. The principal asked if Joelle would come and talk about working at Anyinginyi.
Joelle didn't want to do it. She had never spoken in front of a group bigger than her own family. Her support worker drove her over the night before just to look at the room.
The next day Joelle showed up. She told the kids what she does at the clinic: she cleans the rooms after the doctor sees patients, and she makes sure everything is ready for the next day. Three of those kids are now her informal mentees — they ask her questions about working when they see her in town.
Joelle didn't think she was a leader. Her niece, her support worker, her colleagues at the clinic, and three school kids all disagree.
She got a phone call from the local school principal last year. The principal asked if Joelle would come and talk about working at Anyinginyi.
Joelle didn't want to do it. She had never spoken in front of a group bigger than her own family. Her support worker drove her over the night before just to look at the room.
The next day Joelle showed up. She told the kids what she does at the clinic: she cleans the rooms after the doctor sees patients, and she makes sure everything is ready for the next day. Three of those kids are now her informal mentees — they ask her questions about working when they see her in town.
Joelle didn't think she was a leader. Her niece, her support worker, her colleagues at the clinic, and three school kids all disagree.
What did Joelle do that you'd call leadership?
What was her big goal? What was a small step?
Who was on her team?
Session 5 · Joelle's story08 / 21
Disability Advocacy Service11:40 · Vivienne's story
Another leader's story · read aloud
Vivienne and the language class.
Vivienne is in her fifties. She has cerebral palsy and grew up in Alice Springs. She speaks English and a little Pertame (Southern Arrernte). She has been working with the Akeyulerre Healing Centre's Apmere Angkentye-kenhe Arrernte Language Program as a learner for ten years.
Last year the program asked Vivienne if she'd help facilitate a language session for non-Aboriginal allies who wanted to learn basic Arrernte greetings — staff from local services, hospital nurses, school teachers.
Vivienne said yes. She doesn't teach the language — that's not her role. Her role is to help the learners feel less awkward, to model that learning a few phrases is OK, to share her own experience as someone who's been learning for ten years and still gets things wrong.
One of the learners she helped — a hospital nurse — now greets her Arrernte patients in language. The nurse says it changes the conversation in the consult room. The patients open up faster.
Vivienne's leadership wasn't to teach the language. It was to be someone the learners could see themselves reflected in — a slow, persistent, imperfect learner who never gives up.
Last year the program asked Vivienne if she'd help facilitate a language session for non-Aboriginal allies who wanted to learn basic Arrernte greetings — staff from local services, hospital nurses, school teachers.
Vivienne said yes. She doesn't teach the language — that's not her role. Her role is to help the learners feel less awkward, to model that learning a few phrases is OK, to share her own experience as someone who's been learning for ten years and still gets things wrong.
One of the learners she helped — a hospital nurse — now greets her Arrernte patients in language. The nurse says it changes the conversation in the consult room. The patients open up faster.
Vivienne's leadership wasn't to teach the language. It was to be someone the learners could see themselves reflected in — a slow, persistent, imperfect learner who never gives up.
Ten years. What does that tell you about goals?
What's something Vivienne does that you've already done in some way?
What's hard about goals that take a long time?
Session 5 · Vivienne's story09 / 21
Disability Advocacy Service11:50 · My Future
Module 8 · Part 1
My Future.
Booklet page 7. What's most important to you. Your big dreams.
1
Session 5 · My Future10 / 21
Key Word Signexcited
Disability Advocacy Service11:52 · My Future sheet
My Future: your worksheet
Two boxes on your sheet.
What is most important to me?
- The people, places, and things you care about
- Whatever is true for you - there's no wrong answer
What are my big dreams?
- Big dreams can be small. Big dreams can be huge. Both are real
- They might be about you, people you love, or where you live
Write, draw, or ask us to scribe. Mandy shares one of her own answers per box first.
Session 5 · My Future sheet11 / 21
Key Word Signdraw
Disability Advocacy Service12:00 · Break
15 minutes
Break.
Tea, water, fresh air, bathroom.
Back at 12:15 - we'll finish My Future first.
Back at 12:15 - we'll finish My Future first.
★
Session 5 · Break12 / 21
Key Word Signbreak
Disability Advocacy Service12:25 · My Plans
Module 8 · Part 2
My Plans.
Booklet pages 8 and 9. Goals across three parts of your life.
2
Session 5 · My Plans13 / 21
Key Word Signthink
Disability Advocacy Service12:27 · Three parts
My Plans - three parts of your life
Three parts of your life.
Health and Fitness
Body, food, sleep, doctor, mental health.
Hobbies
What you do for fun, art, sport, going out.
Learning and Work
Paid jobs, volunteering, training, studying.
What do you want to do or achieve in each one?
And - what are your goals as a leader?
And - what are your goals as a leader?
Session 5 · Three parts14 / 21
Key Word Signlife
Disability Advocacy Service12:30 · Examples
What might it look like? CA examples
What might it look like?
Health and Fitness
"Walk every day at Simpson's Gap."
"See my doctor at Congress every six months."
"Cut down on the smokes."
"See my doctor at Congress every six months."
"Cut down on the smokes."
Hobbies
"Play in a footy carnival again."
"Volunteer at the Beanie Festival."
"Start coming to DAS movie night."
"Volunteer at the Beanie Festival."
"Start coming to DAS movie night."
Learning and Work
"Volunteer at Congress / DAS / footy club."
"Get more NDIS hours so I can do training."
"Get paid work that fits with ceremony when I'm called."
"Get more NDIS hours so I can do training."
"Get paid work that fits with ceremony when I'm called."
These are examples, not a checklist. Yours can be totally different. The EXAMPLES sheet is on your table.
Session 5 · Examples15 / 21
Key Word Signgood
Disability Advocacy Service12:35 · Leader goals
One more row on your sheet
Leader goals.
- Joelle's big goal was the school talk - her small step was looking at the room the night before
- Vivienne's leader goal was helping new learners feel less awkward
- Yours might be something at DAS, at your provider, on your team - or somewhere else
- You don't have to pick one today. This is a thinking space
Session 5 · Leader goals16 / 21
Key Word Signhero
Disability Advocacy Service12:35 · Activity
Pens out
Now your turn.
Booklet page 7 first - My Future.
Then pages 8 and 9 - My Plans.
We'll both walk the room. Ask for help or a scribe.
Then pages 8 and 9 - My Plans.
We'll both walk the room. Ask for help or a scribe.
Session 5 · Activity17 / 21
Key Word Signdraw
Disability Advocacy Service12:40 · Share-back
Only if you want to
Share if you want to.
One thing from My Future or My Plans.
You can pass. Passing is fine.
Mandy shares first.
Session 5 · Share-back18 / 21
Key Word Signlisten
Disability Advocacy Service12:50 · Before you go
Closing the day
Before you go.
- Pick one goal from your worksheet to think more about this week
- Feedback form - we'll help you fill it in if you want
- Appreciations - one specific thing about someone in the room. Mandy runs it
3
Session 5 · Before you go19 / 21
Key Word Signthank you
Disability Advocacy Service12:58 · Next time
Next session · 11:00 · Akaltye Room
Next time - Small Steps.
- Pick one goal
- Break it into small steps
- Get ready for your PATH Plan day - your own planning day, one-on-one, after the group sessions. We'll talk to you about booking yours
Session 5 · Next time20 / 21
Key Word Signfinish
Disability Advocacy ServiceEnd · Session 5
Thank you
Disability
Advocacy
Service.
DAS · Mparntwe / Alice Springs21 / 21