Enable WA Welcomes Two New Board Members
- Enable WA
- Feb 19
- 4 min read
We’re proud to welcome two new members to the Enable WA Board, each bringing valuable lived and professional experience, strong advocacy, and a deep commitment to inclusive, person-centred services.
Brooke Doherty and Georgia Allison join the Board at an important time for Enable WA, strengthening our governance with perspectives grounded in real-world experience and community connection.
Together, they reflect Enable WA’s ongoing commitment to ensuring participant voice, choice and self-determination are embedded at every level of our organisation.
Meet Brooke:
1. To start, can you tell us a little about who you are?
Thanks for having me! I’m Brooke Doherty, and I’m passionate about making the world more accessible for people with disabilities. Currently, alongside my new role with Enable, I’m a Consumer Representative at Joondalup Health Campus, sitting on several committees helping shape patient experiences. I’m also part of a consumer consultancy committee where I co-design inclusive services and advocate for people with disabilities and their families. What drives me is using my lived experience to make meaningful change - whether through governance, advocacy, or direct support.
2. What experiences have most shaped how you approach your work today?
My time at Indigo (the Independent Living Centre), was really formative. As an Assistive Technology Mentor, I walked alongside people making crucial decisions about their independence. Getting my Certificate IV in Assistive Technology Mentoring gave me the frameworks to truly support informed choices. And honestly, my own journey as an assistive technology user has shaped everything. I understand the overwhelm, the trial and error, and the immense difference the right support can make.
3. You’ve spent many years working in Assistive Technology — what changes in this space have had the biggest impact for participants and families so far?
The NDIS has been a game-changer, putting choice and control back in people’s hands. Participants can now access a much wider range of solutions tailored to their specific goals. I’ve also seen incredible advances in mainstream technology becoming more accessible: smartphones, tablets, smart home devices are now assistive technologies for many people, often more affordable and less stigmatising. Perhaps most importantly, there’s been a shift toward co-design and listening to lived experience, leading to better, more practical solutions.
4. Where do you see Assistive Technology heading over the next few years, and what should participants and families be paying attention to?
I’m excited about AI and machine learning integration. We’ll see technologies that adapt and learn from users intuitively.
Voice control and smart home integration will become more seamless, giving people greater independence. Watch for the growing evidence base around what actually works. I’d encourage people to ask questions, seek peer reviews, and look for technologies tested by actual users in real-world settings.
Also, keep an eye on repair rights and sustainability as technology becomes more sophisticated.
5. What’s one piece of advice you’d give participants or families who may feel overwhelmed by Assistive Technology options?
Start with your goals, not the technology. What do you want to be able to do? What would make the biggest difference to your daily life?
Once you’re clear on that, the technology becomes the tool to achieve it. Don’t go it alone - reach out to peer mentors, connect with other AT users, trial equipment before committing. The right solution is the one that works for you, not necessarily the newest option on the market.
6. What excites you most about being part of the Enable Board and the Enable community?
Enable’s commitment to person-centred approaches really resonates with me. After years of working directly with participants and families, I’m excited to contribute at a governance level to ensure values translate into action.
I’m particularly drawn to Enable’s focus on choice and self-determination; these are fundamental rights. Being able to help shape strategic direction while keeping lived experience at the centre is incredibly meaningful. I’m looking forward to learning from my fellow board members and the wider Enable community, and bringing valuable perspectives from my own journey.
Meet Georgia:
1. To start, can you tell us a little about who you are?
I’m based in Perth and bring both lived and professional experience to the Enable WA Board. I have a background in primary education, with experience supporting inclusive practices and working alongside students living with disability. I also have firsthand experience navigating disability supports, which informs how I approach advocacy and service improvement.
Why did you want to join the Enable WA Board?
I believe lived experience should be represented at a leadership level. Enable WA plays an important role in supporting choice, independence and meaningful participation, and I wanted to contribute to strengthening services that genuinely respond to the needs of participants and families.
What perspective do you bring to the Board?
I bring a practical, participant-focused perspective, informed by both professional experience and time spent navigating support systems. My background in education has shaped my approach to communication, collaboration and inclusive practice.
What do you see as some of the key challenges for people receiving support or therapy?
Navigating the NDIS can be complex and time-consuming, particularly when trying to access the right supports. Consistency of support is also critical, as strong relationships underpin progress. Access to community life remains a challenge for many, with physical and social barriers still limiting participation.
What excites you about being part of Enable WA’s future?
I’m excited to contribute to an organisation that values inclusion, collaboration and participant voice, and to support Enable WA’s ongoing commitment to improving outcomes for the community.
Future plans for the Enable WA Board:
Brooke and Georgia each bring thoughtful, grounded perspectives that strengthen Enable WA’s leadership and reflect our values in action. Their combined experience in lived advocacy, education, assistive technology and governance will help guide Enable WA as we continue to support participants, families and the broader community.
We warmly welcome Brooke Doherty and Georgia Allison to the Enable WA Board and look forward to the positive impact of their contributions.
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