Speakers

Advocate, Policy Advisor and Non-Executive Director

Jaci Armstrong is committed to applying her significant advocacy and policy experience to achieving equitable access, inclusion and genuine choice across all facets of life for people with disability.

She has extensiv lived experience of disability having significant vision loss since birth, benefiting from having a Guide Dog as her primary mobility aid for over 25 years. Further understanding of the importance of accessible design, inclusive practices and attitudes has been reinforced by observing the experiences of her twin sister who has a physical disability and is a wheelchair user.  

Jaci’s professional background is primarily within the disability, government and health sectors with substantial governance experiencing including as a previous Director and Chairperson of Riding for the Disabled and Non-Executive Director of People with Disability Australia.

Jaci is currently working part time with Guide Dogs NSW/ACT as their Disability Inclusion Advisor which builds on her prior role as Blind Citizen’s Australia’s National Advocacy and Projects officer.  

In her previous position as National Policy Advisor for Guide Dogs Australia, Jaci led strategy and engagement with Government and industry bodies and represented GDA on Blindness sector peak bodies, Vision2020 Australia and was one of four Australian delegates to the World Blind Union.

Jaci has also held positions with State and Federal Members of Parliament and at KPMG in Sydney.

She continues to serve on the Boards of Boards of  Accessible Arts NSW and is Chair of the Quality Committee for Hireup and is a member of North Sydney Council’s Access and Inclusion Committee.

As the mother of a young child, Jaci’s is also keenly aware of the need for accessible and inclusive communities for all children and their parents.