About Akii

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Akii is a community leader and international multi-award-winning disability, victim-survivor, gender equity advocate and activist, who is deeply passionate about human rights, disability rights, intersectionality, accessibility, inclusion and non-tokenistic co-design/co-production & co-evaluation. They are a proud, physically disabled, neurodivergent (Autistic, ADHD & C-PTSD), transgender, gender diverse non-binary and LGBTIQA+/Queer person of colour from a culturally, racially marginalised, non-English Speaking (NESB) and refugee background. With expertise and qualifications in public health, health promotion, project management, accessibility and training, they consistently and passionately push for genuine systemic and sustainable inclusion and diversity in all areas of our society.  Akii has 14+ years of extensive experience throughout all levels of government, non-for-profits, non-government organisations and different busineses. 

An experienced subject matter consultant, trainer, educator and presenter. Recently, Akii undertook the inaugural, exciting and mammoth role of Accessibility (Diversity & Inclusion) Manager at Sydney WordPride 2023 & Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras - the first and largest event in Australia since the Sydney Olympic Games! Akii was also concurrently an EL1 Consultant / APS6 Senior Co-design & Engagement Advisor at the National Disability Insurance Agency - where their focus was on developing and strengthening the LGBTIQA+ Strategy and consulting on implementing improved  LGBTIQA+ inclusive NDIS/NDIA processes. 

Akii is also an elected Councillor on the Victorian Disability Council, on the Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Commissioners' Lived Experience Council, on Australia’s Disability Strategy Council, on the National Autism Strategy’s Economic Inclusion Committee (working to improve employment outcomes for fellow Autistic and disabled people), are part of the Victorian LGBTIQA+ Taskforce and an LGBTIQA+ Disability Inclusion Expert member. They are also a professional family and gendered-based violence trainer for workforce professionals at No to Violence, using MARAM principles focusing on adults who use violence. 

Akii is a first-generation Aussie, who lives with multiple complex chronic illnesses, disabling chronic pain and various disabilities. An intimate partner (IPV) and family violence (FV) survivor-advocates, who sits on several advisory committees, councils and working groups (some of which are mentioned above) across Australia within the health, violence-prevention, LGBTIQA+ and human rights sectors. Advising, educating, training and providing genuine, intersectional & lived experience consultations for a diverse range of DEIB (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging), co-design, disability, accessibility (all types including physical infrastructure, in-person, online, events and communications), gender equity, violence prevention and human rights causes. 

One of Akii's main motivators for gender equity, equality, diverse leadership and empowerment opportunities is fueled by Akii's own extensive personal lived experience of IPV and FV. Many stories of which Akii has bravely shared publicly in their extensive violence prevention work -- as people with disability, particularly girls, women, femme-presenting, feminine-identifying, LGBTIQA+, transgender, gender diverse and non-binary people, who are disproportionately impacted by all forms violence (i.e physical, emotional, financial, co-erceive control, sexual and reproductive wellbeing).

Akii is deeply dedicated to accessibility, universal design, non-tokenistic (tick-box) representation and is a fierce advocate for people with chronic pain, chronic illness, and all disabilities (apparent or hidden) due to their own lifetime of lived experiences.

Furthermore, Akii is also an experienced, agency-represented and internationally published model and actor – working to challenge the perception and create a positive change within the media, fashion and beauty industry for appearance diversity (i.e. surgical scars), disabled individuals, neurodivergent, chronically ill, young people, mobility aid users, transgender, gender-diverse and POC (people of colour)  communities.