Building a Stronger Disability Community Together
Community Disability Alliance Hunter (CDAH) is a not-for-profit organisation run by, and for, people with disability. We are a cross-disability Disabled People’s Organisation based in Newcastle, and our work is guided by the voices of people with disability.
At CDAH, we believe in the power of peer support and community. We bring people with disability together to share knowledge, build skills, and strengthen connections. Through projects, workshops, advocacy, and mentoring, we create opportunities for people to have greater voice, choice and control in their lives and to shape the systems and communities around them to be more inclusive and equitable.
Who is CDAH?
Many people ask: “What is CDAH?”
And honestly – there’s no single answer. We’re an organisation grounded in connection and lived experience. This video offers a glimpse of who we are, what we value and a peek into the unique heart and energy of our community.
CDAH is often misunderstood from the outside; it’s frequently mistaken for a service provider or care organisation. But CDAH is something fundamentally different: a member-led, grassroots community where people with disability lead the way in advocacy, community-bonding, leadership, and collective change.
All Means All
At CDAH, everything we do is guided by disability lived experience. From our Board of Directors, to our workforce, to our membership, we centre the voices of people and are guided by our community’s needs.
Through advocacy, peer support, and collaboration, we have created lasting impact across Newcastle and the Hunter. From influencing more inclusive local services, to building leadership opportunities, to ensuring the voices of people with disability are heard and respected.
We are committed to full inclusion and active citizenship for all people with disability, and our lived expertise has shaped policy, practice, and culture across government, business, and community.
Our Vision
We strive for a just and inclusive society where people with disability have genuine voice, choice and control.
Our Values
Peer Led
Accountability
Humility & Paying It Forward
Diversity & Inclusion
Our Aims
- Provide information, advice, mentoring, peer support, training, and development to increase knowledge and skills for people with disability
- Serve as a collective voice for people with disability, advocating for the rights and needs of the community
- Build an inclusive community that welcomes all people with a disability
- Share collective lived experience to empower people with disability, promoting voice, choice, and control over their lives.
- Adhere and be guided by the principles of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and related human rights frameworks
Our Annual Reports
“With our peer movement, we can build real advocacy for our issues – it’s you and your peers advocating for issues that are important to you. We can have a real impact on changing societal concepts and perceptions about what disability is.”
David Belcher,
CDAH Strategic Advisor & Peer