ELGP Alumni Highlight: Hannah McPierzie


Hannah McPierzie is a changemaker, dedicated to building genuinely inclusive environments for people with disabilities. Since graduating from the Emerging Leaders in Governance Program, she has made a profound impact in the disability advocacy space, serving as Chairperson for Deafblind Western Australians and Non-Executive Director for Deafness Forum Australia. Beyond these leadership roles, Hannah drives change through her consulting services, helping organisations implement meaningful accessibility and inclusion practices in the workplace.
Hannah’s journey into governance and advocacy began at a turning point in her life. Having recently recovered from two brain surgeries and adjusting to life as a deaf-blind individual, she returned to teaching.
Unfortunately, she says that “Coming back to work with a newly acquired disability wasn’t easy.” Learning to support her students, all of whom also had disabilities and special needs, while also navigating her own, was challenging.
The experience inspired Hannah to explore new career pathways, realising that her 14 years of teaching, combined with her learned and lived experience with disabilities, had equipped her with a unique skill set and perspective to advocate for the disability community, “It felt serendipitous. I had worked with children with disabilities for so long, and now, having a disability myself, I started thinking about how I could educate beyond the classroom,” she explained.
It was this realisation that led Hannah to join the Emerging Leaders in Governance Program (ELGP) in 2023. The program, which was open to women with disabilities in its eleventh installment, became a pivotal moment in her leadership journey.
For Hannah, the experience was empowering. She reflected on how much comfort and empathy there was within her cohort, and how Alicia and Grace, the program facilitators, were particularly attuned to the needs of participants, “Together, we felt so comfortable and there was so much empathy in that room,” Hannah said, “This support enabled me to engage fully in the learning process.”

Hannah McPierzie speaking at the ELGP Breakfast Launch Event
One of the most impactful moments for Hannah during the program was attending a board meeting with Wanslea, where she had the opportunity to witness discussions firsthand and ask questions about how boards accommodate individuals with disabilities, “I loved the way the Chair kept everyone on track and summarised ideas. Watching that leadership in action is something I take with me now.”
Hannah says she also built a supportive network during the program, which has become an invaluable resource. The group she fosters offers guidance, feedback, and encouragement, “We think of one another.”
The collaborative nature of the cohort encourages the network to recommend one another for professional opportunities. This mutual support is at the heart of the ELGP’s mission, and it has helped Hannah foster relationships built on a culture of mutual empowerment and success, “I’m on a research committee with Melbourne University and we’re developing an online platform that connects people with disabilities with carers. I was there to provide lived experience perspectives and at the end of the session I told them, ‘I know two people who would be great at this,’ and they are now on the committee too. It’s incredible to be able to lift each other up.”
While embracing leadership roles and contributing to advocacy projects, including her work with Deafness Forum Australia, Hannah has also observed the challenges that young leaders often face, particularly the self-doubt that can arise when stepping into leadership positions, “I think [as young leaders] we are so naturally inclined to doubt ourselves because we haven’t had the life experience. But starting the ELGP pulled the curtain back and it’s not as scary as I first thought.”
However, she credits her teaching experience with helping her build confidence in her leadership approach, “meeting people in the deaf advocacy space, you meet so many smart and amazing individuals, but the concepts and language used can be too hard for many to understand. As a teacher for children with disabilities, I’m used to breaking down big concepts into smaller chunks and using language that is accessible without losing the integrity of the message. Being a teacher has really helped me in this way.”
This ability to simplify complex ideas has been invaluable in her board roles and in her work as an advocate and disability consultant, helping organisations enhance workplace culture and communications on disability, accessibility and inclusion.
As to inclusion in the workplace, Hannah observes that “awareness is growing.”
“It has become an expectation for organisations to have a Disability Accessibility Inclusion Plan, if they don’t, they’re getting left behind. But at the same time, simply having a DAIP or having accessibility training is not enough, this needs to be put into context and applied, that’s where I can help,” she said.
Quoting advocate Briar Harte, she added, “Just because you did the grocery shopping doesn’t mean dinner is ready,” emphasising that true inclusion requires ongoing commitment, not just surface-level policies.
For Hannah, the key to meaningful progress in inclusion and accessibility within organisations is in recognising that true change requires leadership commitment at all levels, “when disability advocacy is included in leadership at all levels, it’s more likely that inclusivity will trickle down to permeate the entire organisation and become a priority in day-to-day decision-making, rather than just a check-box exercise. The goal should be to create a culture where accessibility and inclusivity are considered foundational to the organisation’s success,” she says
Reflecting on her own teaching experience, Hannah reinforced the importance of leadership influence. “At my school, where I had lateral influence, I advocated for myself and my kids by creating resources and ran training sessions, but it wasn’t adopted by the organisation, even though I worked hard to do so, because of my lack of influence. It all comes down to leadership from above; it’s about doing the grocery shopping AND creating a great meal,” she adds.
As Hannah continues her advocacy work, she remains committed to promoting diversity in leadership, ensuring that disability representation is integrated throughout organisations. She is a strong advocate for embedding disability leadership at all levels, from decision-making positions to operational roles, and aims to help foster a culture where inclusivity is woven into the fabric of the organisation.
Hannah’s journey is a powerful reminder of how diverse leadership drives lasting change. As organisations look to enhance accessibility, Hannah offers consulting services to help guide this transformation. You can learn more about her work and access tailored solutions to improve inclusivity via her website, www.hannahmcpierzie.com
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