Kat Reed (they/them/theirs)
Chief Executive Officer
Kat (they/them/theirs) has been a local queer and disability advocate & community builder in the ACT for the last eight years. They are currently the CEO of Women With Disabilities ACT and a Board Director of Women With Disabilities Australia and of Youth Coalition of the ACT. Kat was recently awarded 2021 Young Canberra Citizen of the Year and one of Out for Australia’s 30 Under 30 for 2021.
Their activism and community building work spans many different intersections. Since the age of 17, they have advocated for the rights of people of colour, queer youth, trans and non-binary people and people with disabilities. They’ve held positions of leadership in both local and national organisations including the ANU Students’ Association and led the Australian Queer Students’ Network as the National Co-Convenor. Kat was a Council member on the ACT LGBTIQ+ Ministerial Advisory Council and advised on issues affecting queer youth from 2015-2018.
Kat is also a political performance artist and through their arts persona they recently finished work on Australia’s very first all trans and gender diverse original musical titled Lost in Transit with a cast of six local trans and gender diverse artists.
Pippa (they/she)
Policy Officer
Pippa is the Policy Officer at WWDACT, and is responsible for policy research, submissions to inquiries and consultations, and convening the Policy Advisory Committee (PAC). Their previous experience is in government and policy, and they are currently studying a Bachelor of Arts (majoring in Sociology) and a Bachelor of Applied Data Analytics at ANU. They are passionate about promoting the rights of women* with disabilities and has been involved in mental health and disability advocacy at ANU.
Isabel Moss (she/her/hers)
Board Chair
Isabel is a young woman with lived experience of disability and an advocate for the Queer* community. She is passionate about promoting intersectionality, especially to ensure neuro-divergent young women and young Queer* people are provided a platform and an accessible space to advocate for change.
Isabel is a current Bachelor of Arts/Science student at ANU, majoring in Sociology and Genetics. In 2018, as a first-year, Isabel was a Queer* Officer for the UniLodge Residents’ Committee and collaborated with the Community Services Portfolio to establish an inclusive and accessible wellbeing and sexual health program and peer support network. Isabel was also the Deputy Officer for the ANU Queer* Department in 2018, spearheading a major review into the Department’s privacy policy to improve trans-inclusivity which was ultimately adopted by the National Association of Australian University Colleges. As acting Department officer for the ANU Queer* Department in 2019, Isabel drafted the 2019 budget including the organisation of the Department’s attendance of the National Queer* Students Conference.
In 2019, Isabel was appointed to a Senior Resident role in Warrumbal Lodge. She provided guidance and wellbeing care to 50 students and provided personalised support for members of the community with disability. Drawing on these experiences, in 2020 Isabel took on the role of Human Relations Officer for the Canberra Student Housing Cooperative, working to maintain accessible and affordable housing for students. In particular, Isabel led the review of the housing application process to promote racial, sexual and disability inclusivity.
From her studies and work in policy, Isabel has a strong background in the systemic issues that are facing women with disabilities, especially Queer* women in the ACT. However, her work with students, and her own background, has also exposed her to the many lived experiences of women with disability in the ACT and the importance of empathy when approaching peer support.
Karen Hedley (she/her/hers)
WWDACT Director
Karen Hedley’s 30-year career has been dedicated to advancing and protecting the rights of disabled people and increasing the use of easy to understand communication for the benefit of all in the community.
Karen was recognised in 2015 for a lifetime achievement of “Making a significant and stunning contribution to growth in policy and practice in protecting and promoting human rights for people with a disability over 22 years” in the ACT Chief Minister’s Award for Inclusion She was also a finalist in the 2022 Awards for her her social enterprise The Easy Read Toolbox, where most of the people she employs are disabled.
Eliza Moloney (she/her/hers)
WWDACT Director
Hi, my name’s Eliza. I’ve been living and working in the ACT since 2017 and I’m passionate about working at the intersection of health and disability, and the social determinants of health.
I currently work at Cancer Australia, but have experience in the ACT Legislative Assembly and the community sector. I am also a passionate health consumer representative, hoping to make good use of my experiences in the ACT’s health system. I have a brain injury and several chronic health conditions. I hope to bring my experience and skills in fundraising, grant writing, and stakeholder liaison to WWDACT. I have been engaged with WWDACT as a member for several years, and have always appreciated their advocacy and peer support. I also loved Pitch your Passion! and would love to see it return. I was previously a board member of the Brain Tumour Alliance ACT, and currently assist the Australia Sri Lankan Buddhist Association of Canberra with grant applications. In 2020, I completed the Audrey Fagan Board Traineeship Program.
Beth Wurcker (she/her/hers)
WWDACT Director
Beth has worked in the not for profit aged care and disability sector for over 30 years. As a person with a disability that mainly affects her mobility she is in a good position to understand and connect with older people and people living with disability.
Beth holds a Bachelor of Community Education (Counselling), loves working on projects that enhance quality of life and building strong teams. Beth also has a passion for improving access to programs for people facing vulnerability and exclusion. She has held a number of volunteer roles in both disability focused and mainstream organisations including as an MS Ambassador and Emergency Services.
Outside of work Beth loves her garden and spending time with family and friends.
Deleana (Dee) Quinn (she/her/hers)
WWDACT Director
I am new to the ACT and new to WWDACT, but closely align with the values and mission of the organisation and believe I can offer a needed skillset to the position of Board Director. Having grown up with a brother with intellectual and physical disabilities, and also experiencing a physical disability myself, I am passionate about the challenges facing women and non-binary people with a disability and care deeply about the complex issues facing those trying to navigate the various systems within our society. I am currently a senior level manager at a not-for-profit organisation with a broad range of project management, philanthropic fundraising and event planning experience. I am nominating for the role of Board Director at WWDACT as I believe I can use my skills and experience to help further WWDACT’s valuable work in an area that is deeply personal to me.
