Introducing ASAN AUNZ's Thriving Autistic Advocacy Project

ASAN AUNZ News

Thriving Autistic Advocacy Project

We are proud to announce the launch of our Thriving Autistic Advocacy project.

This project aims to support creation of thriving autistic self and systemic advocacy.

We have received an Autism Works in the Community Grant from the South Australian Government to partially help us deliver this project.

We are forming two advisory groups to:

  • give input to ASAN AUNZ’s activities and
  • give feedback on what works and what doesn’t throughout the process.

To support this, we will employ one (or more) autistic people part-time, along with a team of volunteers.

Together, we will produce and publish a guide and toolkit on how to create thriving autistic advocacy forums.

We know we won’t get everything right, and we want to use these inputs to learn lessons for ourselves and to share with others.

To do this, we want diverse autistic people with strong connections to our community to contribute through participation as advisory group members, employees, volunteers or members of ASAN AUNZ.

Here are some ways you can participate:

Expressions of interest for Advisory Groups have now closed.

ASAN AUNZ’s Advisory Groups

ASAN AUNZ is forming two advisory groups.

  • Member Engagement Advisory Group

The Member Engagement Advisory Group strengthens engagement with ASAN AUNZ’s members, promotes diversity and inclusion, and enhances membership benefits and participation.

  • Advocacy Advisory Group

The Advocacy Advisory Group supports systemic advocacy efforts, self advocacy initiatives and enhances ASAN AUNZ’s influnece in policy and legislative arenas.

Membership

Each group comprises 7-10 members, including ASAN AUNZ Board Members and ASAN AUNZ Autistic Members.

To apply for membership of an advisory group, you must be an autistic member of ASAN AUNZ.

We are seeking ASAN AUNZ Autistic Members who are able to constructively participate within diverse groups, add diverse perspectives and contribute to the purpose of each advisory group.

We encourage you to express your interest if you identify as:

  • First Peoples, First Nations, Aboriginal, Maori, Pasifika and/or Torres Strait Islander
  • Culutrally or Linguistically diverse
  • A non-speaker, or situational, intermittent or unreliable speaker
  • Multiply-disabled
  • LGBTIQASB+
  • Have lived experience with abuse, harrassment or discrimination
  • Having an identify that is under-represented in autistic advocacy

Activities and Commitments

We anticipate members of our advisory groups will need to commit around 4 hours of their time each month. This commitment includes preparing for meetings and providing feedback, as well as attendance, and includes:

  • Regular meetings (online) – two meetings in the first month and then one every month or two
  • Contribute to the development of advocacy tools and resources
  • Provide input to Board initiatives such as policies and action plans

Remuneration

Advisory Group members will be provided with honorariums in the amount of $50 per hour up to $150 for each advisory group meeting they participate in. Honorariums can be provided via direct deposit or gift card.

Express your interest

Expressions of interest for Advisory Groups have now closed.

To express your interest in joining an Advisory Group, please use the online form >

Expressions of interest close at midnight on Sunday 14 September 2025 (ACST).

Next Steps

Members will be advised of the outcome with 21 days (3 weeks) of expressions of interest (EOIs) closing. You may be advised that you are:

  • Shortlisted

If you are shortlisted, you will be asked to complete some things before we offer a position as an advisory group member. This is to ensure the safety and wellbeing of other advisory group members and the organisation, as well as to address any potential governance issues such as conflicts of interest.

  • Waitlisted

If you are waitlisted, it means you may be shortlisted when a position becomes available. If we can, we will provide some indication of the potential for this to occur.

  • Ineligible

If you are not eligible, we will advise you of the reasons why. This could be because we can’t see you are a member of ASAN AUNZ, you are not an adult or live outside of Australia and New Zealand.

Achieving diversity in our advisory groups may result in people who meet all other attributes not being shortlisted, so please keep this in mind if you are waitlisted.

Those who are shortlisted for the advisory groups will be asked to:

  • Share information on their interests to assist in addressing any potential or perceived conflicts of interest
  • Undertake a police or other check to provide assurance on their suitability to engage with vulnerable people
  • Sign a non-disclosure agreement
  • Agree to ASAN AUNZ’s Position Statements (Easy English available)
  • Sign ASAN AUNZ’s Code of Conduct for Advisory Groups and Child and Vulnerable People Code of Conduct
  • Advise on availability for advisory group meetings

ASAN AUNZ will pay for any police checks or similar that are required if they are not free or do not already exist.

After the requested information is reviewed, the applicant may be offered a position or waitlisted.

Accessibility

To make participation and information accessible we have:

  • tried to use plain lanugage
  • accessibility tools on our website
  • TIS National interpreter services upon request
  • Easy Read documents available upon request
  • Guidance for support persons

Please let us know if you need help by emailing operations@asan-aunz.org 

Supported Decision Making, Support Persons and Translator/Interpreter Guidance

Please let us know if you require a translator, interpreter, support person and/or use supported decision making. We have guidance and requirements for people attending in this capacity, including that any person attending in any of the mentioned support capacities must:

  • Complete all information required for advisory group members
  • Only speak in accordance with the Autistic person who they are supporting’s wishes
  • Limit their contribution to the purpose of their support, and not speak for the person they support
  • agree to a Code of Conduct for support persons if one is provided

How to Express Your Interest

Expressions of interest for Advisory Groups have now closed.

You can register your interest using our online form, or follow the instructions on the form to register in other ways. Before you start, please ensure you:

  • have read the information on our website about the role/s you are interested in
  • have relevant information and supports available
  • are using a laptop or computer with internet access
  • have an hour available to complete the form

You can register your interest using our online form, or follow the instructions on the form to register in other ways.

Express your interest in joining an ASAN AUNZ Advisory Group >

Expressions of interest for Advisory Groups close at midnight on Sunday 14 September 2025.

For information on other opportunities refer to working with ASAN AUNZ >