Building Inclusive Cultures from Lived Experience
"Inclusion isn’t a checklist — it’s a culture. I help organisations build spaces where everyone feels seen, respected, and safe to show up as they are" - William Ward-Boas
What does William Ward-Boas's Logo represent?
Firstly it captures all of the things William Ward-Boas stands for:
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Rainbow - Represents LGBTIQA+ Rights
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Hands reaching out - Represents Human Rights
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Dots - Aboriginal dot paintings have both an artistic and cultural significance, nowadays are an important form of expression as well as a substantial way of income for many remote Indigenous communities.
William has worked with individuals, organisations, and government to improve inclusion in all its forms. The work also supports advocacy efforts that promote access, equity, and respect for people with disability, neurodivergent communities, First Nations peoples, LGBTIQA+ people, and others who experience systemic barriers. William says "I help explain and apply the concept of intersectionality — showing how our different identities and experiences overlap and shape how we enhance people's experience".
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William's Mission
As a proud Autistic and First Nations person with an intellectual disability from the LGBTIQA+ community, I’ve spent most of my life navigating systems that weren’t built with people like me in mind. Whether it was a government office, a nonprofit boardroom, or a local community group — I noticed the same patterns again and again: spaces that talked about inclusion but weren’t designed for it.
I’ve sat in meetings where accessibility was an afterthought, where decisions were made without people with lived experience in the room, and where difference was seen as a challenge rather than a strength. These experiences weren’t just frustrating — they were exhausting. And I know I’m not alone.
What I experienced is something many people with disability or from marginalised communities know too well — it’s called minority stress. It’s the constant pressure to hide parts of who you are, to “pass” or overperform just to feel safe or respected. It wears people down. But it also fuels change.
That’s why I started this work — not just to raise awareness, but to help organisations take real action. Because inclusion isn’t a buzzword. It’s a commitment to making sure everyone can contribute, thrive, and show up as their full self.
Over the past six years, I’ve had the privilege of working alongside self-advocates, neurodivergent leaders, disability organisations, and government bodies. Together, we’ve created more accessible workplaces, better policies, and safer spaces. But there’s still a long way to go — and that’s why this work matters.
If we want truly inclusive workplaces, we need to design with people at the centre — not as an afterthought. That means listening to lived experience, valuing diverse ways of thinking, and making accessibility a standard, not a special request.
This isn’t just about compliance. It’s about culture. And it starts by believing that everyone deserves to feel seen, supported, and celebrated — just as they are.
William's Method
The communities I belong to in my life with my experiences in community systems such as specialist education, NDIS, Centrelink, Group Homes and so on. I wanted to create input to start conversations with these things kept in mind personally and professionally.
In particular I am well versed in presentations, workshop delivery, feedback, evaluation, seeing if workplaces are accessible generally and intake. My experience with disability advocacy with my personal experience gives me insight into how things should work with my insight into how people who use the systems want to be treated.
