Voices for Change is a self-advocacy group for people with acquired brain injury and experience of the criminal justice system.
In our group all the members have an Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) and experience of the criminal justice system. If you, or someone you know, has an ABI and experience of the criminal justice system we would love to hear from you. Members are supported to grow their skills in public speaking, working as a group, and speaking up for themselves and others. Being in the group means being a part of making meaningful change alongside your peers.
What is an Acquired Brain Injury (ABI)?
An acquired brain injury is any injury to the brain after birth. An ABI has many causes, including by a stroke, an infection, accidents, family violence, brain tumors, drug overdose and long-term alcohol or drug use. An ABI has many effects on people: from physical, to cognitive, behavioural and emotional. It affects people’s lives in a lot of different ways.
We use our lived experience of having an acquired brain injury and contact with the criminal justice system to educate people, reduce stigma, and to make things better for our peers. To do this we:
We develop skills in public speaking, self-advocacy and working as part of a group.
We work with government groups, as well as the health and legal sector, to make organisations and systems friendlier to people with an acquired brain injury.
Voices For Change is a one-of-a-kind group filling an essential gap in lived-experience advocacy and peer-support work in Australia.
VFC’s lived-experience expertise has influenced the change of policy and practice across leading justice organisations in Victoria and has shaped conversations about disability justice reform on the national scale.
