Meredith Allan

Disability advocate and lecturer

2023 VIC Australian of the Year Nominee

Meredith Allan has a disability that has affected her mobility and speech since she was a child. For nearly 50 years she has spoken using augmentative and alternative communication.

She has worked with national and international NGOs for most of her life to improve the lives of children and adults with complex communication needs.

Meredith balanced this work with a demanding career with the Australian public service for nearly 30 years.

She served as President of the International Society for Augmentative and Alternative Communication and has spoken at the United Nations. She was also appointed to the National Disability Insurance Australia Board in 2022.

When Meredith was in school, a teacher told her father that she had unrealistic expectations for wanting to go to university. Meredith now lectures at several universities on her lived experience as a person with a disability.