Despite all the advancements made around the areas of inclusion for those with a disability, it can still be difficult to forge a path through life, especially if you have leadership ambitions.

But as you'll hear in this episode, nothing is going to hold Claire Mitchell back from what she wants to achieve.

Claire is a woman with Down syndrome, who is ambitious and driven, with a passion for society to see her and her peers as equals.

She holds leadership positions as the Queensland representative on the Down Syndrome Advisory Network, and is also the first person with Down Syndrome to sit on the board of Down Syndrome Australia as an independent director.

In 2022, Claire was an Australian delegation member at the 15th session of the Conference of States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, at the United Nations in New York.

Chappy Chats is a production of 96five Brisbane and SU Australia.

Artwork by Tamar Petersen of Red Box Studios.

To find out more about becoming a chaplain, visit the SU Australia website.

Find more 96five podcasts by downloading the 96five app, at the 96five podcast page or wherever you get your podcasts.

Support the show: http://www.96five.com/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Leading a school is never easy, but what are the challenges you face when 100% of your students have special needs?

Murray Bowman is the principal of Pine Rivers Special School, which caters to students who have been verified as having a significant intellectual disability.

Many of the students also have a verified secondary disability area which adds to the complex nature of the learning requirements.

Every student in the school, whether from prep to year 12 require the highest level of support offered by Education Queensland, so it takes someone pretty special to lead a highly specialised unit of teachers and support staff.

We'll find out how Murray and his team of teachers, teacher aides and support staff care for the students and families of Pine Rivers Special School.

Chappy Chats is a production of 96five Brisbane and SU Australia.

Artwork by Tamar Petersen of Red Box Studios.

To find out more about becoming a chaplain, visit the SU Australia website.

Find more 96five podcasts by downloading the 96five app, at the 96five podcast page or wherever you get your podcasts.

Support the show: http://www.96five.com/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Robyn Fellowes story is one of sheer grit, smashing through the glass ceiling of the Australian Army’s special forces, and becoming the first Australian woman to wear the coveted green beret of the Australian Commandos.

Despite a childhood marred by the effects of domestic violence, Robyn’s life story is one of resilience, mental toughness, empowerment and positivity.

Throughout her military career, Robyn has always championed the cause of women, whether by supporting those who stood alongside her in the defence force, or by empowering women during overseas deployments.

One of Robyn's career highlights was as the Australian Army Gender Advisor to the United Nations Mission in South Sudan.

You can read Robyn's story in her autobiography 'Wings of Change', which is available in paperback or for Kindle on Amazon, or as an audio book on Audible.

Chappy Chats is a production of 96five Brisbane and SU Australia.

Artwork by Tamar Petersen of Red Box Studios.

To find out more about becoming a chaplain, visit the SU Australia website.

Find more 96five podcasts by downloading the 96five app, at the 96five podcast page or wherever you get your podcasts.

Support the show: http://www.96five.com/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.