Behind CPSN with Amy: Meet our Customer Engagement Officer
- alisonhibbert
- 4 days ago
- 2 min read
As our Customer Engagement Officer, she has been running the Youth OASIS (Opportunities, Advocacy, and Social Inclusion) program. It helps young people with CP learn about how to foster advocacy, social inclusion, and support. She has taught them how to learn new skills and how to navigate life’s challenges. She has helped them feel heard in a safe, supported, non-judgemental social environment.
Over the past year Amy has organised dynamic events like Metro Movie Day and run podcast training workshops with SYN Media.
She is passionate about breaking barriers and challenging misconceptions about disability. Whether it is planning engaging experiences, supporting the customer service team or advocating for accessibility, she is committed to empowering others. Her belief in inclusivity is reflected in everything she does and reminds us that everyone has something valuable to contribute to society.
Creating Connections Through Experiences
Podcast training
One of Amy’s highlights of the OASIS activities was participating in a podcast training workshop with SYN Media. Eight young people with CP planned and recorded a podcast episode in a studio.
“We all felt very professional and learnt a lot about communication, presenting and planning.”
Metro Movie Day Success
Recently Amy planned, co-ordinated and executed CPSN and OASIS’ first Metro Movie Day, where our clients and their support workers enjoyed a day out together in Melbourne.
It included a talk/tour about successfully navigating and accessing public transport at Flinders Street Station with staff from Metro trains. The group shared lunch together and concluded their day with a movie screening of “Out of my Mind.”
It was a great success, and much positive feedback indicated that they would like more social activity opportunities. Read more about the day here.
Amy also assists the Customer Service team with anything that they need help with. She enjoys working with CPSN and says our staff are committed to helping people with Cerebral Palsy, as she is too.
A Passion for Advocacy
Amy is a fierce advocate for inclusivity and accessibility, having worked in the disability and advocacy service space since she was eighteen.
“I’m extremely passionate about improving the quality of life and opportunities for people with Cerebral Palsy and all disabilities.”
She believes the public perception of people with CP is underestimated. She believes we are all capable of doing something unique and focusing on our dreams.
“I think people with Cerebral palsy are extremely underestimated when there are people with Cerebral palsy in almost every job imaginable from volunteers and teachers to lawyers and doctors.”
Things to Remember about Disability
Amy has shared three important tips for us to keep in mind about Cerebral palsy, disability, and inclusion:
Everyone has something important to share.
Anything can be adapted for anyone.
There are so many different types of Cerebral Palsy.
In 2017, she created a short film for SBS as part of a prize she won for National Youth week. It portrays her reflecting about life as a young person with a disability. She hopes the film educates people to stop jumping to conclusions that living with a disability is either extremely tragic or inherently inspirational.
Amy relaxes away from work by watching reality television, playing her Nintendo switch, doing other things within the disability advocacy sector, and working in film and television.
You can view Amy’s short film here
If you would like to contact Amy for a chat about anything related to CP or ask her anything about the Youth OASIS program, please contact us:
(03) 9478 1001 or email us at cpsn@cpsn.org.au We’re here to help.