Down Syndrome Australia’s Annual Report 2024-25
A Message from the Governor-General
A message from the Governor-General
Watch a brief message from Down Syndrome Australia’s Patron, Governor‑General Sam Mostyn AC.
Leading the way in inclusion
In 2024–25, Down Syndrome Australia increased our focus on putting the voices of people with Down syndrome and intellectual disability at the centre of everything we do.
We employ more than 35 people with lived experience to help run our projects, programs, and advocacy. They make sure our work really represents our community. People around the world look to us to learn how to include people with intellectual disability.
All our work is guided by three goals:
- Improve quality of life for people with Down syndrome
- Build capacity and collaboration across the Down syndrome community
- Lead change in society’s awareness, attitudes and behaviours
These goals ensure everything we do is meaningful, inclusive and shaped by the voices of our community.
About us
Celebrating our achievements
Here are some of the important things we achieved this year.
632,937
Website page views, providing quality information, up 61%
30,000
Social media followers, building a national community, up 24%
37,747
Right to Work page views, raising awareness and support for fair wages
10,669
Petition signatures to end $3-an-hour wages
9,200
Monthly newsletter readers accessing information, up 12%
6,751
Voice subscribers reading community stories, up 27%
1,327
Health Screening tool views, supporting better health outcomes
7,000+
Calls, emails and sessions supporting and guiding our community
212
People trained by Digital Champions to support inclusion online
65
New or updated informational resources developed, up 124%
55
Webinars and podcasts via Information for Life, empowering 814 attendees
339
Family survey responses helping improve our resources, up 160%
104
People with Down syndrome in open employment through Employment Connections, since the project started
210
Meetings with employers, creating real opportunities for open employment
35
Staff with Down syndrome or intellectual disability shaping our projects and programs
$1.2M+
Raised through Scrapheap Adventure Ride over 15 years
Thank you to our state and territory partners for making many of these outcomes possible.
Empowering our community
People with Down syndrome and other intellectual disability are at the heart of our work.
This year, people with lived experience continue to be employed in established programs like Health and Employment Ambassadors and the Down Syndrome Advisory Network. People with lived experience of Down syndrome and intellectual disability are also shaping new projects like Supporting My Rights, Accessible Communications and the Digital Champions.
We welcomed a second Board member with Down syndrome and now employ over 35 staff with lived experience.
By focussing on leadership, accessibility and self-advocacy across everything we do, we are building a truly inclusive organisation shaped by the people it serves.
Through both new and ongoing projects, we’re empowering our community and achieving our strategic goals. We’re focusing on the things that matter most, like health, employment, ageing, and more. Read more about our projects that help us achieve our goals below.
Projects that empower our community
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Accessible Communications Project 2025
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Digital Champions 2025
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Employment Connections Project
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Inclusive Practices Project
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Learn and Lead 2025
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Information for Life 2025
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Health Ambassadors 2025
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Down Syndrome Advisory Network
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Ageing Well with Down Syndrome
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Scrapheap Adventure Ride 2025
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Inclusion International Congress
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Supporting My Rights Project 2025
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On the Board
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National Centre of Excellence
“It’s extremely important to have people with Down syndrome working with DSA so that Boards and Governments hear directly from people with lived experience.
— Michael Cox, DSA Board Member
Decisions are then made for people with disabilities, not just for the organisation.”
Advocating for change
In 2024–25, we continued to influence positive change across prenatal, health, education, employment, the NDIS and migration.
Watch our Advocacy Asks video to learn more about the six key areas we’re focused on.
Read our Advocacy Year in Review for a closer look at this year’s work.
We were also pleased to partner with the Down Syndrome Victoria Advisory Network to produce a video for our Supported Employment submission, highlighting the voices and experiences of people with Down syndrome.
Right to Work employment campaign
Ahead of the Federal Election in March 2025, we launched the Right to Work campaign. The campaign calls for an end to $3 an hour wage and for fair pay and meaningful employment for people with Down syndrome.
Our key asks of Government:
- Phase out the $3 wage – make sure people with disability are paid at least the minimum hourly wage by 2034, following the Disability Royal Commission recommendation
- Fund programs that work – support and scale our Employment Connections Service, which has helped over 100 people with Down syndrome secure open employment in three years
- Make the Disability Support Pension work for workers – remove barriers that stop people from earning and building careers
Watch our campaign video.
Campaign highlights
10,000+ signatures
to end $3 an hour wages for people with Down syndrome
National media coverage
across The Guardian, The Project and other outlets
Social media reach of 120,000+
with 3,000+ engagements
75,000+ Instagram users
reached by Charlotte Bailey’s story, our highest ever
Watch our story on The Project
Visit the Right to Work website to learn more and show your support by signing the petition. Every signature helps us push for meaningful change and fair employment for people with Down syndrome across Australia.
Financial overview
Watch the video below to hear Board member Claire Mitchell talk about our financial performance this year.
Read more in our Financial Report for 2024-25.
Thank you
We’re grateful to our members, funders, partners, staff and volunteers. Your support allows us to reach more people, strengthen our advocacy and create real opportunities for people with Down syndrome. Together, we’re making a difference.
Stay connected
Thank you for supporting Down Syndrome Australia this year.
To stay informed and help us create lasting change, you can: