Lived experience, driving change in accessible communication
Date and Time
Monday 23 March 2026
8:30am – 3:30pm AEDT
Location
The Savoy Hotel
630 Little Collins Street, Melbourne
What to expect
The Accessible Information Forum brings together industry leaders in accessible communications and experts with lived experience. These are the voices that can help shape what accessible communications means for your audience.
Accessibility is always evolving to meet a diverse range of needs. The Forum provides an opportunity to engage in meaningful conversation and gain actionable insights into working with people with lived experience when developing accessible communications.
Whether you work in communications or marketing, or simply have an interest in accessible communications, we invite you to join us and be part of the ongoing conversation around accessibility and inclusion.
Hear from the voices that shape accessibility
Hear from industry leaders and people with lived experience about why lived experience is the driving force behind truly accessible communications. Learn about the latest research, real life case studies, thought-provoking insights and practical advice you can use to make your communications more accessible.
Engage with a community of like-minded people
Network with a community of like-minded people who are committed to:
- creating accessible communications
- understanding what it means to genuinely engage with people with lived experience.
The Forum is an opportunity to have meaningful conversations with peers, build connections and start thinking about what the future of accessible communications might be like.
Speakers
Keynote speaker
Dr Ariella Melzer
Senior Research Fellow
Centre for Social Impact, University of New South Wales
Dr Ariella Meltzer’s research is about information accessibility.
When we think about accessible information, we often think of the rules of how we format text, audio or tactile resources.
But what if making information accessible is about more than only those rules?
Dr Ariella Meltzer will speak about other ideas that also contribute to making information accessible.
She will show how the experiences of people with disability are a big part of what makes information accessible.
Assunta Fogliaro
Inclusion Advisor
The Information Access Group
Read more
Speaker
Assunta Fogliaro
Inclusion Advisor
The Information Access Group
Assunta Fogliaro is a skilled information and communications technology and administration professional. She is also an accessibility advocate, para-athlete and community contributor with lived experience of blindness. As a screen reader user, Assunta tests documents and websites for Information Access Group clients to make sure they are accessible for people who use assistive technology.
By combining lived experience with practical knowledge, Assunta aims to influence better design, policy, and decision-making that benefits all audiences – not just those who experience temporary, situational or permanent disability.
Assunta will speak about her personal journey navigating education, work, sport and everyday life after encountering disability as an adult. She will also speak about her work and advocacy, which focus on promoting accessibility as a shared responsibility, not an afterthought. Digital accessibility plays a critical role in modern inclusion.
Assunta’s experience has given her first-hand insight into how inaccessible systems, particularly digital ones, can create unnecessary barriers to participation and independence. She has also experienced how well-designed, inclusive digital products can enable autonomy, confidence, and equal opportunity.
Costa Vasili
Founder and CEO
Ethnolink
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Speaker
Costa Vasili
Founder and CEO
Ethnolink
Costa Vasili is the founder and CEO of Ethnolink, one of Australia’s largest multicultural communications agencies. He launched Ethnolink in 2011 at the age of 20 as a translation company. Over the past 14 years he has grown it into a fully integrated multicultural communications agency working across research and strategy, creative, translations, and media and engagement.
Costa grew up in the City of Greater Dandenong — one of Australia’s most culturally and linguistically diverse local government areas. He is a second-generation Australian, with his father and grandparents all born in Cyprus. His family’s migration story shaped his lifelong commitment to breaking down language and cultural barriers and creating a more inclusive Australia.
Accessibility Beyond English: Reaching Australia’s Multicultural Communities
More than 31.5% of Australia’s population was born overseas, and over 22% of people report using a language other than English at home. In a country defined by cultural and linguistic diversity, accessibility can only be achieved when language and culture are central to how information is designed and delivered.
Costa will explore how inclusive communication can be applied across language and cultural contexts. Drawing on Ethnolink’s work with government and community organisations nationwide over the past 15 years, Costa will share practical insights into:
- multilingual accessibility
- cultural nuance
- community-informed approaches.
Costa’s presentation will demonstrate a robust framework for making information accessible for migrant and First Nations communities.
You’ll gain a clearer understanding of how knowing your audience, developing content that meets their needs, and using channels they know and trust will improve:
- comprehension
- participation
- engagement across Australia.
Thomas Sluiter
Research Consultant and Facilitator
As We Are Research
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Speaker
Thomas Sluiter
Research Consultant and Facilitator
As We Are Research
Thomas Sluiter has made a career out of listening to people. He helps organisations to become more accessible, by investigating what is important to their users.
To know what advice to give to organisations, Thomas does research to learn:
- What people do
- How people experience things
- What people think and feel about products and services.
He then gives advice on things like:
- What problems need to be solved
- What barriers need to be removed
- And what needs to be improved.
Thomas works as a user researcher for his organisation called As We Are Research and for La Trobe University. Thomas often supports the Information Access Group with user research, to help make the world a more accessible place.
Thomas will talk about how to put user needs at the centre of making products and services accessible.
He will share stories of how people with disability may experience the world and why it is important to understand their perspectives in making design choices.
Thomas will also explore how user research offers the opportunity to step into the world of people living with disability, so that their reality becomes an integral part of your decision making.
Anthony Lam
Founder
Punchy Studio
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Speaker
Anthony Lam
Founder
Punchy Studio
Anthony Lam is the founder of Punchy Studio, an award-winning visual communications agency that creates content designed to drive behaviour change and empower communities.
Over the past 14+ years, the Punchy team has produced more than 1,500 videos for organisations across federal, state and local government, education and the not-for-profit sector.
Punchy specialises in animation, video and accessible content, turning complex topics into clear communication that connects with diverse audiences and drives action.
From insight to action: What we’ve learned creating impactful animation
Anthony will share a case study about an accessible animated video created for First Nations audiences. He’ll explain how audience insight shaped the messaging, script, visual design and accessibility choices. He’ll also share the key learnings from the process. You’ll leave with practical takeaways on creating culturally considered animation that is clear, inclusive and effective.
Tickets available now
Venue details
Please join us at the Savoy Hotel on Little Collins Melbourne.
Address: 630 Little Collins Street, Melbourne 3000 Vic
We will hold the Forum in the Plaza Ballroom.
The Savoy Hotel is in the heart of the Melbourne CBD, on the corner of Spencer and Little Collins streets. It’s directly opposite Southern Cross Station.
Accessibility
There is a transport drop-off zone directly outside the front of the hotel. The hotel entrance has step-free access from the street and automatic doors.
The Plaza Ballroom is on level one. Elevators can take you from the ground floor to the Plaza Ballroom. The elevators are located at the end of the ground floor foyer.
There are accessible toilets on the ground floor and on
level two.
Auslan interpreters and a hearing loop are available upon request. Please make sure you include your accessibility requirements when buying your ticket.
The Forum program will be available in HTML and PDF. Please contact us if you would like the program in a different format.
The venue welcomes assistance animals.
The Forum will be catered with morning tea, lunch, afternoon tea and refreshments. Please make sure you include any dietary requirements when buying your ticket.
If you have any questions about accessibility at the Forum or need help with your registration, please contact Melanie at hello@informationaccessgroup.com. We want to make your experience as accessible and inclusive as possible.
If you need help on the day, please approach one of our friendly staff who will be wearing Information Access Group lanyards.
How to get there
Train
The closest train station to the Savoy Hotel is Southern Cross Station.
Directions:
- Take a train to Southern Cross Station.
- Follow signs at the station for Spencer Street and Collins Street.
- Cross Spencer Street at the lights and turn left onto Little Collins Street.
- The Savoy Hotel is a short distance ahead.
Taxi
You can get dropped off directly at the Savoy Hotel entrance on Little Collins Street or at the corner of Spencer and Little Collins streets.
- You can call 13 Cabs on 13 2227.
- You can call Silver Top Taxis on 13 1008.
- You can book a wheelchair accessible vehicle through each of these services.
Tram
The closest stops are:
- Stop one on Spencer Street and Bourke Street on routes 86 and 96.
- Stop one on Spencer Street and Collins Street on routes 11, 12, 48 and 109
Directions:
- You can get off either of the stops above.
- Make your way to Spencer Street and turn right.
- Travel along Spencer Street towards Little Collins Street.
- Cross Little Collins Street and you’ll see the Savoy Hotel at number 630.
Helpful tip: The Savoy Hotel is inside Melbourne’s free tram zone.
Parking
You can find nearby public parking at:
- Wilson Parking – 530 Collins Street (enter on Little Collins Street)
- Secure Parking – 522 Flinders Lane.
Directions from Wilson Parking:
- Exit the car park onto Collins Street.
- Turn right and make your way along Collins Street towards Spencer Street.
- Turn right at Spencer Street and head towards Little Collins Street.
- Cross Little Collins Street and you’ll see the Savoy Hotel at number 630.
Directions from Secure Parking:
- Exit the car park onto Flinders Lane.
- Turn right and travel along Flinders Lane until you reach Spencer Street.
- Turn right at Spencer Street and make your way towards Little Collins Street.
- Cross Little Collins Street and you’ll see the Savoy Hotel at number 630.
