Today was the launch of our National Disability Research Partnership (NDRP) project "Children as changemakers in public libraries". This meeting was an opportunity to introduce ourselves, understand the project and discuss plans going forward.
Here is our team:
- A/Prof Kathy Cologon - Associate Director, Children's Voices Centre, Charles Sturt University
- Tim Cologon - Adjunct, Children's Voices Centre, Charles Sturt University
- Dr Jo Grimmond - School of Education; Affiilate, Children's Voices Centre, Charles Sturt University
- Dr Kasey Garrison - School of Communication and Library Studies; Affiilate, Children's Voices Centre, Charles Sturt University
- Prof Philip Hider - School of Communication and Library Studies, Charles Sturt University
- Prof Sharynne McLeod - Director, Children's Voices Centre, Charles Sturt University
- Dr Carolyn Gregoric - Research Manager, Children's Voices Centre, Charles Sturt University
- Dr Shukla Sikder - School of Education; Affiilate, Children's Voices Centre, Charles Sturt University
- Dr Zinnia Mevawalla - University of Strathclyde, UK
- Amanda Niland - The University of Sydney; Adjunct, Children's Voices Centre, Charles Sturt University
- Aliza Salvador - Research assistant
Background to the 2026 NDRP projects
- $4.92 million for 19 disability-led research projects, chosen from 176 applications.
- The projects start between August and October 2026 and run for 12 months.
- They sit across three streams:
- Safety of people with disability
- Pathways to the elimination of restrictive practices
- Accessible and inclusive communities
- Learn more about the 19 teams: https://content.ndrp.org.au/2026-funded-research-teams-announcement
- This research is funded by the NDRP through a grant from the Australian Government as an initiative under Australia's Disability Strategy 2021–2031.
Information about our project
Children as Changemakers in Public Libraries
https://content.ndrp.org.au/2026-funded-research-teams-announcement#Accessible-Inclusive
"Children with disability are often excluded from research and decisions about the places and services they use. This project will work alongside children with disability in regional communities to understand what makes public places welcoming, accessible and inclusive for all children.
Kathy Cologon from the Children’s Voices Centre at Charles Sturt University leads the project, partnering with children, families, Bathurst Library and other regional NSW libraries, community organisations and First Nations stakeholders. Through creative and accessible workshops, children share experiences and ideas through drawing, storytelling, photography, Braille, Auslan and other forms of communication that work for each child. Children help guide the research, findings and resources through project workshops and an ongoing Children's Advisory Group."
Here is some additional information written by lead researcher:
Our successful research application to the National Disability Research Partnership (NDRP) has now been officially announced. The embargo lifted yesterday, so we finally share the news of this fantastic research! This was a highly competitive grant round, with just 19 projects funded from 176 applications, and we are delighted to be one of the successful recipients (with a grant of $281,278 plus GST).
Our project, Children as Changemakers in Public Libraries, will work with around 100 children with disability in regional NSW to explore children’s experiences and ideas about accessibility, belonging and inclusion in their communities. Through accessible, creative research activities, children will share their perspectives on what makes communities welcoming and inclusive, the barriers children experience, and what could be done differently. Importantly, children with disability will help shape the research and its findings, with the aim of informing meaningful changes to community spaces, services, and policies. We will also work with the children, alongside a highly acclaimed author and illustrator with disability, to create accessible children’s books that share children’s ideas about inclusion with the wider community.
This project includes three members of our CVC team (Kathy Cologon, Sharynne McLeod, Carolyn Gregoric), as well as four affiliates, two adjuncts and one external researcher. We are working in partnership with Bathurst Library and outreach libraries to ensure children with disability in regional communities have opportunities to influence how more accessible and inclusive communities are created.
To make the news even more exciting, we have also just been notified that the Hon Jenny McAllister has selected just three of the funded projects to highlight in her media coverage, and ours is one of them! It’s fantastic to see this important research receiving national attention and recognition, and a wonderful opportunity to showcase the work of the Children’s Voices Centre and Charles Sturt University. As Bathurst Library is a key partner in the project, the Mayor of Bathurst will also contribute to the media coverage, making this a wonderful coming together of local and national recognition around research that places children with disability at the centre of creating more inclusive communities.
