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Carly Findlay gives the 2019 Matt Laffan Memorial Address

Disability Rights

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In March 2009, Sydney Law School alumnus Matt Laffan passed away after he fought and lost the biggest battle of his colourful and active life.

On 27 February 2019, Carly Findlay, writer and appearance activist, will deliver a memorial address to celebrate the significant impact Matt made in his short life. The 2019 address is jointly co-hosted by Sydney Law School and the Australian Human Rights Commission in recognition of the 25th anniversary year of the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA), which ends on 28 February 2019.

1 March 2019 will also mark the 10th anniversary of Matt Laffan's passing.

About the speaker

Carly Findlay is an award winning writer, speaker and appearance activist. Her first book, Say Hello, was released in January 2019. She’s editing Growing Up Disabled in Australia. She writes on disability and appearance diversity issues for publications including ABC, Daily Life and SBS.

She was named as one of Australia’s most influential women in the 2014 Australian Financial Review and Westpac 100 Women of Influence Awards. She has appeared on ABC’s You Can’t Ask That and Cyber Hate with Tara Moss, and has been a regular on various ABC radio programs.

She’s spoken at Melbourne Writers Festival, the University of Western England and Melbourne University - to name a few. She organised the history making Access to Fashion - a Melbourne Fashion Week event featuring disabled models. She has a Master of Communication and Bachelor of eCommerce.

Carly identifies as a proud disabled woman - she lives with a rare severe skin condition - Ichthyosis.