Introducing our new Coaches for the Spring Program 2023

We are excited to announce two coaches, Dr Rita Kleinfeld-Fowell and Clare Gibellini, who will be joining us for the ELGP Spring program specifically for young women with disabilities. They will play an important support role during the program for participants. 

Find out more about our new coaches below: 

Dr Rita Kleinfeld-Fowell (she/her)

Rita is married with two sons and five grandchildren. She has lived experience with Disability from being a Deafblind Person and is an NDIS participant with a Guide Dog, Joel. Since birth, she has had hearing loss and developing sight impairment since her early twenties. Later she was formally diagnosed with Usher Syndrome.

She is the Chair of Valued Lives Foundation, Chair of Deafblind West Australians, board member of Everability and a Committee member of the Western Australia Disability Advisory Council (WADAC}.  Additional Rita, in her various roles, strives to better the lives of people with disabilities.

Rita practices as a Supervising Solicitor in her various legal roles. Previously, she has worked as a Senior Solicitor working in a large Community Law Centre in Midland, specialising in Disability and Human Rights, and has recently joined the team at Tom & Co Legal.  She has managed the recent Disability Royal Commission project and legally represented people with disabilities and their families in the SAT and AAT. Furthermore, Rita has a solid legal and practical understanding of the National Disability Insurance Scheme, having worked as a Senior Planner / Co-ordinator from January 2015 to September 2018, having worked on various engagement projects within the NDIA in Midland WA

Rita was the Company Secretary and Trustee for InControl. This international disability movement organisation was driving thinking about some contemporary attitudes to Disability, such as Personalisation, self-directed support and the ‘key to citizenship’ model. The UK Law Commission invited Rita to provide input into Care and Disability Legislation which was to become the Care Act 2014. Rita has written several articles and a research paper and has given various Disability, Philosophy and Law presentations. Rita completed a Doctor of Law in 2019 to compare new legislation in Australia and the UK and how the conflict should be addressed. Rita has recently won a Scholarship with the AICD, where she hopes to gain further skills to enhance her Board roles to make a difference for people with disabilities and for their families who would otherwise be disadvantaged without her advocacy support.

Clare Gibellini (she/her)

Clare has worked in the disability sector for 16 years and has lived experience of autism. She enjoys supporting others to advocate for themselves sharing her experience with disability rights and policy campaigns ensuring we remain intrinsic to the decision-making process at the intersection of employment and disability.  You can watch Clare in action, speaking at TEDx Mandurah. 

She is Board Secretary at People with Disability Australia, Director of South West Autism Network Inc, Co-Chair of the National Autism Strategy, Oversight Council and a member of the Ministerial Advisory Council On Disability.  Further to that she has supported a range of community organisations such as  Outback Academy Australia and the Red Dust Heelers.  She also works with Valued Lives as their Stakeholder and Partnerships Lead. 

Clare is passionate about protecting the rights of people with disability in all areas of life, and enjoys enabling leadership opportunities for people with disability.