Member Profiles

Peter Rickards - Founding President of ADDE

Peter has become a passionate advocate for improving employment opportunities for people from disadvantaged communities. “I decided to form ADDE because I found so many barriers to getting back into the workforce” Peter said. Many organizations such as State Federal, and Local Government, and Disability Agencies which you would expect would be leading from the front in employment of people with disabilities, were not doing so. I became tired of trying to change these injustices by myself with no obvious results. After nearly two years of frustration I realized that organizations and government only take you seriously if you speak from an organization which has credibility and numbers. There were so many people like me having the same problems and many people I came across had just given up trying to find work because it is too difficult when employers are not taking a pro-active approach. The next step was to get together to try and get change happening and create our own employment opportunities” Peter Rickards said.

Since completing a post graduate qualification in Recreation and leisure studies, Peter played a leading role in developing Recreation and Leisure services for people with vision loss for 26 years at Vision Australia before being made redundant in 2003.

His achievements included production of videos, a program series broadcast on National Radio for the Print Handicapped, and the publishing and writing of several books which sold world wide. Also the establishment of many National and State Blind and Disability sporting and recreation associations.

Peter played a leading role on the Disability Advisory Committee at Boroondara (winners of Prime Ministers employer award 2005), and he developed a business plan for the BtB (Becoming the Boss disability empowerment training program) at Action for Community Living. Another achievement is the establishment of a small business by Peter and his partner.

Despite loosing his vision at a young age while living in Africa, Peter has been keenly involved in many sports and recreational activities himself, the highlights of which have been to represent Australia internationally in three different sports.

In 1980 Peter competed in the second winter Paralympics in Norway in the 10 and 20 kilometer cross country skiing events coming within the top 10 in the world. In 1982 he won a gold medal in the 5 kilometer walk in Hong Kong at the Asian disability games. And In 1990 his sailing team won bronze at the first world blind sailing championships in Auckland New Zealand.

Other highlights have included entering teams in three five day 400 km canoe Murray Marathons, and the annual international Dragon boat festival, and leading a trip of vision impaired people who paddled the circumference of Port Philip Bay over eight days in sea kayaks.

In addition to being father to three almost grown up children, Peter still finds time to play golf, go bush walking, cross country skiing, ball room dancing, canoeing, organize fund raising events for charity, and play chess. He also has been a leader of a Cub Scout pack for nine years. Recently Peter was President of Rostrum public speaking club, and represented his club at the Victorian public speaking finals in August 2005. He also was part of the inaugural Leadershipplus program in Australia.

Peter was born in New Zealand and also lived in South Africa for five years before his family came to Melbourne in 1970.

Barry Strmelj - Action for Community Living Representative

Amanda McNeill - Vice President

Married with Three children, Amanda holds an Arts Degree, majoring in Politics. She has worked in the Public Service, the Community Sector, and as a Volunteer.

Juliana Nwobu - Committee Member

Holding a Master's Degree in Commerce, her objective is to work in an organisation that will challenge her to use her skills and interests in Marketing, Human Resource Management, Economics and Management Information Systems.

Edward Manuel - Treasurer

David Sullivan - ADDE Communications

David Sullivan was born in London in 1950. He went through school with Music Scholarships, although he never planned to be a Pro. He met his partner, Jane, in Oxford where they were both graduating. She studied English and he took Politics, Philosophy and Economics (just like two characters by the name of Hawke and Clinton). She went to work as a Journalist, and he went to work for London Transport (including 3 months as a .Bus Conductor). His specialty became Industrial Relations. They did quite a bit of travel.

They came to live in Melbourne in 1979, to celebrate the arrival of Mrs Thatcher. In 1982, he was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. For 11 years, he continued to work in Human Resources for ICI. There followed a series of part-time attachments, including the Kidney Foundation and The Brotherhood. Then he took up the role of Editor of ‘Short Circuit’, the PwMS (People with..) Newsletter. After several years as a Committee Member, in 2004 he became the President of PwMS, after his predecessor suffered a heart attack.

His partner still writes for The Age, has had a book published by Penguin, and they have a 13-year-old son, Christy.

For several years, David has focused on improving the Reception for the newly Diagnosed: and PwMS Employment Opportunities. Right now, he is organising computers for PwMS
with limited resources. He was asked to help ADDE as it started by looking after Communications.

He is still Learning.
And still traveling. Next stops are Vienna, Prague and Budapest. Then Cuba.
Call it therapy.

Kathy Leitch, - Newsletter Editor

I recently wrote an article for the October newsletter about the difficulties of getting a job as a mature age worker. Writing this article for the ADDE Newsletter was a great experience for me as it gave me the opportunity to express my frustrations and air my grievances. It was a great outlet for me and I hope it provided a connection for others who may have experienced the same feelings. I also hope it exposed to the readers the true nature of what people go through when job seeking; hopefully catching the interest of those in the employment field as well.

Up until the age of 50 I thought I was very employable as I have had very broad work/life experience. I have worked in a diverse range of jobs including pharmacy assistant, retail sales, factory work – spot welding, spray painting and icecream packaging, primary school teacher, lifesaving and pool attendant, waitressing, ski lodge manager and ski resort work, housemaid, nanny, spare parts delivery, small business owner (retail, travel and tour host, mobile coffee and catering), single mother to 2 teenage children, logo’d merchandise manager, sales rep…. but I have found that diversity in the workforce is more of an idea than a reality. In addition to experiencing barriers to my age I also believe I have been excluded from at least one position, which I was short-listed for, due to my hearing disability. I hope that a forum such as the ADDE newsletter will help to redress the balance of diversity and disability in the Australian workforce.

Alan Bartlett - Committee Member

Despite his Vision Impairment, Alan has gained a Cert IV in Frontline Management, as well as a Cert IV in Workplace Training & Assessment. He is actively involved in Voluntary work whilst seeking paid employment. Among his hobbies, he lists himself as an Accomplished Musician.

Alex Rowsell - Committee Member

Alex brings to ADDE a variety of Hobbies, Interests, Qualifications and Experiences. Covering Disability, Education, Employment, Homeless, Disadvantaged and Voluntary Sectors of the Community both in the UK and here in Australia, including serving on various Boards and Committees since 1975.

Michael Merrett - Implementation Project Worker and Minutes Secretary

Michael Merrett joined ADDE in November 2007 with the hope of gaining some part-time employment and started working as a sole-trader Consultant on the ADDE Business Plan with Diversity At Work, (D@W) www.diversityatwork.com in December 2007.

Michael is now working part-time on the ADDE research report as an Implementation Project Worker with Action for Community Living Inc., (ACL) http://www.advocacyhouse.org/acl/about.html and was involved with the ADDE research launch on Monday August 18, 2008 at the Victorian Equal Opportunities and Human Rights Commission, Level 3, Room 1&2, 380 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne.
Michael is the ADDE Minutes Secretary for the monthly Committee Meetings, usually held on the second Wednesday of the month at 12.30pm at the Victorian Commission of Social Services, (VCOSS) at Level 8, 127 Exhibition Street, Melbourne, unless otherwise advised.
Michael has a keen interest in website design, digital photography and graphic art and is interested in becoming a videographer.

Michael is a member of the City of Yarra, Disability Advisory Committee (DAC) http://www.yarracity.vic.gov.au/rates/Older%20Persons/Dcac.asp and is involved with all accessibility issues throughout the City of Yarra. Michael joined the City of Yarra, DAC in November 2007 with the aim of introducing accessible Tram Platform Stops throughout the City of Yarra so that people with disabilities, parents with prams and the elderly can all have equal and safe access to public transport. Michael is interested is promoting a more inclusive and diverse community for all people with disabilities throughout the City of Melbourne and Australia.

Ania Zamecznik - Newsletter editor, Committee Member

Ania Zamecznik works at Vision Australia on a Women's Community Radio station and as a Polish interpreter. Ania worked as a sole-trader Consultant on the ADDE Business Plan with Diversity At Work, (D@W) www.diversityatwork.com in December 2007.

Ian Boyd - Committee Member

Ian Boyd lives in Morwell and is the ADDE country representative. Ian worked as the Implementation Project Worker with Action for Community Living Inc., (ACL)

Asitha Gurusinghe - I.T. Coordinator

Born Sri Lanka, and brought up in New Zealand, Asitha brings Culture to ADDE as well as Graduating in Science and Computing with interests in Science, Education and Multimedia. He is a person with a disability who has experienced first-hand how the workplace fails to provide adequate support, and feels strongly enough about campaigning for Workplace Reforms to accommodate more people with disabilities.