Kelly Treloar (she/her)

Chair

Kelly is a disabled queer person who uses she/her pronouns and lives on unceded Kaurna Country.

She is a dedicated advocate for equity and inclusion, with extensive experience in disability rights and LGBTIQASB+ advocacy. She is committed to genuinely addressing intersectional discrimination and ensuring marginalised voices are central to policy and decision-making processes

Kelly has led national work to improve outcomes for First Nations people with disability, including developing frameworks grounded in the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. She has collaborated with governments, peak bodies and community to embed human rights, cultural safety and lived experience leadership.

She previously established the LGBTIQA+ First Peoples with Disability Advisory and Action Group and has developed practical resources and training to support safer and more inclusive education systems and national youth organisations for LGBTIQASB+ young people.

Kelly has strong governance experience across advocacy, policy and community-led organisations. Her experience in national reform and lived expertise supports IRV’s work as the national peak for LGBTIQASB+ people with disability.

She is also a parent and union member, and enjoys music, travel and annoying people by talking too much about birds.

William Ward-Boas (he/him)

Board Member

I hope to continue working in the disability sector to use my experience and to further help my communities understand information and best educate people on how to look out for and support people with disability with other intersections.

I am ready and willing to engage in a meaningful way where I can use my skills and be able to work with people.

In 2024 I have attended the United Nations 17th Annual Conference of State Parties in New York with Australian Federation of Disability Organisations – I went as a proud Gay First Nations Male. Feel very fortunate as a disability advocate to have an opportunity to listen to amazing self-advocates on a global stage.

Margherita Coppolino (she/her)

Board Member

Margherita is lesbian with disability from a culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) background. She brings expertise from her intersectional lived experience as well as her activism, advocacy, and professional experience. Margherita has been representing and working on issues for women, people with disability, CALD and disability communities since 1980. 
Margherita has extensive knowledge and experience working with LGBTIQ+ communities and allies globally. She is well known and well regarded across LGBTIQ+ communities in Victoria, Australia, Oceania and beyond, particularly for her advocacy around LGBTIQA+ disability intersectionality. She is considered as a lesbian elder within Victorian LGBTIQ+ communities.  
 
Margherita currently holds positions as Co-Chairperson of ILGA Oceania and board member of ILGA World. She is appointed to the Victorian Government LGBTIQ+ Taskforce. She is Deputy President of Drummond Street Services’ board and a founding member and Co-Chair of Inclusive Rainbow Voices (LGBTIQA+ People with Disability)

Dr Alexandra Johnston  PhD, MAPP, GCER, GCUT, BEd, BArts (she/her)

Board Member

Dr Alexandra Johnston (she/her) is an Autistic, disabled, queer cis female. Alexandra holds a PhD from RMIT University, a Masters in Applied Positive from the University of Melbourne and brings to the IRV Board over 25 years’ experience as an academic, researcher, social anthropologist, educator, consultant, facilitator, and advocate. Alexandra’s career highlights include providing trauma-informed strategic leadership in co-designing with community representatives from under-represented and multiply marginalised groups to help us understand better what work needs to be done to support the full breadth of our LGBTIQA+ community.

Alexandra’s current post-doctoral research is focused on Autistic academics, who are underrepresented in Australasian universities. Autistic academics experience a range of workplace wellbeing challenges including executive functioning, mental-health, stigma, and self-advocacy difficulties. This group of differences varies as a function of individual and contextual factors, making it difficult for Autistic academics to access effective support and impacting their ability to thrive in their careers. Alexandra’s research aim is to elevate interdisciplinary Autistic academics’ voices through a social capacity-building neuro-affirming digital environment co-designed with Autistic academics. Her research contribution re-frames a) the dominant problematisation of autism as a deficit and b) neuro-normative wellbeing discourse to conceptualise how strengths-use for Autistic academics promotes thriving in academia. The results will identify wellbeing priorities for researchers to guide future practice and research with and for Autistic academics. 

Alexandra is a LGBTIQA+ keynote speaker, presenting her research at conferences nationally and internationally. She is an Autistic advocate with Reframing Autism and the Neurodiverse Teacher Advisory Group, an international association of neurodivergent academics from across the globe. Alexandra is a member of several committees, including the Student Wellbeing through Pedagogy and Curriculum working group and previously held an advisory position as a member on the Megalo Print Studio Board, ACT. She has successfully secured multiple grants to fund her research as an LGBTIQA+ disabled academic.As a LGBTIQA+ neuroaffirming wellbeing consultant, Alexandra collaborates with Autistic people in organisations including Reframing Autism, University of Melbourne, TechDiversity Foundation, Clicks IT Recruitment and Specialisterne on building a shared understanding of the benefits of a neurodiverse workforce and the positive impact neurodivergence has on organisational culture. Her focus is on leading and creating cultures that celebrate LGBTIQA+ individuals with disabilities. Alexandra’s mission is to strategically elevate voices and spearhead evidence based co-design solutions focused on access, equity, equality, intersectionality, and the emancipation of human rights with and for LGBTIQA+ people with disabilities.