At Mable, our vision is for an inclusive society where everyone belongs.
To achieve this vision, we put our community at the centre of everything we do. We practise human-centred design and seek feedback so we can improve continuously.
Since 2020, Mable’s External Advisory Council has played an important role in guiding our business and the platform.
It has helped us ensure we align with the views and goals of older Australians, people with disability and the Independent Support Workers who give and receive support via Mable.
In 2023, based on feedback from Council members, we divided the External Advisory Council into two. One would focus on disability and the other on aged care.
Meet the members of the Mable’s Independent Disability Advisory Council
Dr George Taleporos (Chair)
Dr George Taleporos is a community leader with expertise in governance, disability policy, and human rights advocacy.
He has a PhD in psychology, a Graduate Diploma in educational psychology and Honours in sociology. He hosts and produces a fortnightly podcast series about the NDIS called ‘Reasonable and Necessary’.
Over the past two decades, Dr Taleporos has advocated for disability rights and empowered people with disability to self-direct their support through developments in policy and practices.
Dr Taleporos’ current and previous work history includes:
- Member of the NDIS Independent Advisory Council
- Chair of Every Australian Counts
- Committee Member, COVID-19 Response for People with Disability
- Chair, Victorian Disability Advisory Council
- Senior Policy Analyst and Communications Producer, Summer Foundation
- Board member, InLife Independent Living
- Board member, Self Manager Hub
- Manager of the Youth Disability Advocacy Service.
As a disability rights advocate, Dr Taleporos writes for several publications, including The Conversation, The Guardian, and Every Australian Counts.
Nicole Rogerson
Nicole Rogerson has more than 20 years of professional experience in senior leadership roles in business and not-for-profit sectors. She is an experienced director, government advisor and senior executive.
When her son Jack was diagnosed with autism in 1999, Nicole left a marketing and public relations career to pursue better support, services and representation for families affected by autism.
Since establishing Autism Awareness Australia in 2007, Nicole has spearheaded numerous national education awareness and fundraising initiatives to do just that. The most prominent is Light It Up Blue, a campaign where Sydney’s Opera House and other iconic landmarks are lit up blue for World Autism Awareness Day.
Nicole was the CEO of Autism Australia for more than 15 years. After stepping down as CEO, she was appointed as a Non-Executive Director of the Board. Nicole also co-founded the Lizard Children’s Centre, Australia’s leading early intervention centre for children with autism and developmental delay.
In September 2022, Nicole was appointed Chief Executive Officer of The Oranges Toolkit, a social enterprise of Australia’s childhood cancer charity, Camp Quality.
Catherine Hogan
Catherine Hogan has almost three decades of experience working in the disability sector, giving her a deep knowledge of the regulatory landscape and first-hand experience working with families and people with disability as they negotiate their way through the system.
In her professional life, Catherine has developed expertise in strategic thinking, leadership development, planning and implementation.
Catherine has broad networks across both State and Commonwealth jurisdictions and was instrumental in setting up two not-for-profit entities in Australia.
In 2012, Catherine set up her consulting practice through which she facilitates face-to-face or online events and 1:1 planning, assisting people in navigating their way through some of the complexities of the NDIS and advising organisations through the legalities and management practices of the NDIS.
Sandy Arezo
Sandy was a travel agent and business owner for over 18 years before becoming a dedicated support worker. She has been working as a support worker with Mable since 2018 and has experience working with a wide variety of customers. Sandy enjoys supporting her clients to achieve their goals and overcome any challenges. Sandy believes everyone can enjoy life regardless of disability, illness or circumstance.
Sandy connects with her clients by sharing her culture and love of cooking. She has always been a caring person by nature and finds great joy in helping others. Sandy is very proud of the work she has achieved so far and is regarded as one of Mable’s most highly recommended support workers. Her position on the disability advisory council is to represent the views and experiences of support workers.
Dr Dinesh Palipana
Dr Dinesh Palipana is a doctor, lawyer, disability advocate, and researcher.
In 2022, Dr Palipana released his autobiography ‘Stronger’, which detailed how halfway through medical school, a puddle of water on a highway resulted in him suffering a cervical spinal cord injury.
After his accident, he completed medical school, becoming the first medical graduate and then the first graduate doctor with quadriplegia in Queensland. In addition, he was the second graduating doctor with quadriplegia to start working clinically in Australia.
Some of Dr Palipana’s accolades include:
- 2022: Red Bull Wings for Life World Run Ambassador
- 2022: Australia Day Ambassador
- 2021: Queensland Australian of the Year
- 2021: Griffith University Young Alumnus of the Year
- 2021: International Day of People with Disability Ambassador
- 2020: Aspire Awards: Individual Best Achievement in Medicine
- 2019: Medal of the Order of Australia for service to medicine
- 2019: Junior Doctor of the Year at the Gold Coast University Hospital
- 2019: Third Australian to be awarded the Henry Viscardi Achievement Award
- 2019: ‘Change Making’ in National Awards for Disability Leadership
- 2018: Gold Coast Hospital and Health Service’s Junior Doctor of the Year
Dr Palipana currently works in the emergency department at the Gold Coast University Hospital. He is a senior lecturer at Griffith University and an adjunct research fellow at the Menzies Health Institute of Queensland. He is a research fellow at the Jamieson Trauma Institute. He is a senior advisor to the Disability Royal Commission and an ambassador to the Human Rights Commission’s Includeability program.
Jacob Darkin
After a spinal cord injury in 2019, Jacob Darkin’s career in landscape construction took an unexpected turn. He now channels his experiences into being a dedicated advocate for people with disabilities, combining his skills as a Disability Support Worker and consultant on accessibility improvements.
Jacob is an advocate for the rights of individuals with disabilities, focusing on enhancing access and inclusion in various aspects of life:
- Employment opportunities
- Suitable housing options
- Education Social events, such as music festivals
Jacob’s mission is to utilise his journey to assist others facing similar situations to feel comfortable and confident in pursuing their aspirations. He believes that no obstacle should prevent anyone from realising their dreams.
Jacob has gained extensive experience working in the disability field, holding positions including:
- The Mirabel Foundation, Alumni Advisor (May 2022 – Present)
- WeFlex Pty Ltd, Accessibility Advisor (March 2022 – Present)
- Remarkable Tech, Jessica King Fellowship (January 2022 – January 2023)
- Hireup, Support Worker (September 2021 – March 2023)
- Western Sydney University, LaunchPad Accelerator (February 2022 – April 2022)
- AUSactive, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee (April 2023 – Present)
- Physical Disability Council of NSW, Board Observership (April 2023 – Present)
Pete Nguyen
Pete Nguyen is an independent support worker and psychosocial recovery coach who has frequently used the Mable platform since 2020 for his small but growing business, The Army of Misfits.
He manages a range of clients from Mable, mainly with physical disabilities, psychosocial disabilities, and mental health conditions.
As an ex-pharmacist who has worked in the mainstream health system for 15 years (with five years dedicated to the mental health sector), he has broad experiences in allied health services, a dense knowledge of psychosocial and mental health conditions, and high critical thinking and innovation skills.
Pete has a Cert IV in Disability, Mental Health/AOD, and Training/Assessment. He is also an avid user and critic of emerging internet-based platforms across multiple industries.
The path ahead
Members of the Independent Disability Advisory Council are keen to hear from the community.
Dr Taleporos says, “The Independent Disability Advisory Council is committed to ensuring that the board and senior leaders at Mable understand what the NDIS community needs to get excellent outcomes from the platform.”
“By elevating the voices of platform users, we hope to see significant improvements that will lead to more people benefiting from self-directed support and more independent support workers choosing to provide great quality support to people with disability.”
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