Queen’s Birthday Honour for IDS Chair Tricia Malowney

Queen’s Birthday Honour for IDS Chair Tricia Malowney, OAM for service to people with a disability through advocacy roles.

IDS Chair and disability activist and advocate Tricia Malowney has been awarded an Order of Australia Medal (OAM) in this year’s Queen’s birthday honours list. Tricia has championed the rights of Australians with disabilities and insisted that government, service providers and individuals provide equitable access to services, particularly for health and justice.

To say that Tricia has an impressive CV is an understatement. As Chair of Independent Disability Services (IDS), Tricia has provided guidance and leadership to the Board of Directors of the organisation and worked closely with fellow Board Members and the management of the Company throughout the transition to the NDIS.

Alongside her work at IDS, Tricia is a Member of Eastern Family Violence Partnership, a Director at Scope Australia and the Australian Orthotics and Prosthetics Association, and a member of the Royal Women’s Hospitals’ Women’s Primary Care and Population Health Advisory Committee. Her work in the disability sector has previously been recognised, and she was inducted into the Victorian Honour Roll of Women in 2013 and was the inaugural recipient of the Brenda Gabe Leadership Award for Women with Disabilities Victoria in 2013. Tricia was awarded an Ethel Temby Research Grant and travelled to Ireland in 2014 to research the Irish National Disability Services and access to mainstream services for people with disabilities.

Before “retirement” Tricia had a successful career working with the Victoria Police.

When notified that she had been Awarded the OAM, Tricia stated: “I am humbled that people think me worthy of such an accolade. It recognises that I have made a difference for others, something that is very important to me. I am honoured by this award, and acknowledge the support I have received from others across the disability sector.”

IDS CEO, Jed Macartney, OAM, added: “The team at IDS are all thrilled for Tricia. This Honour is richly deserved, she is a compelling advocate for people with a disability and the NDIS. Tricia has tremendous vision and is very much a voice for others. Tricia has been a tireless and effective campaigner for the rights of people with disability.”

Tricia added, “There has been a significant change in attitudes towards people with disability, and I am confident that the introduction of the NDIS has, and will continue to give us increased independence and the opportunity to choose our path. It is a privilege to play a part in this change”.