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Breaking Barriers: Listening to the CP Community
To help inform our brand refresh, in 2024 we engaged deeply with our members, support workers, and team—through workshops, community events, and ongoing conversations so we could better understand what the CP community needs and deliver support that feels personal, relevant, and real.
What we heard was both honest and confronting. Key insights include:
- While the NDIS promised choice and control, many people still find it confusing, inconsistent, and overwhelming.•
- Families spoke about the stress of plan reviews and the difficulty of securing quality support workers who understand their needs.
- Parents shared the loneliness of navigating therapy schedules, appointments, and advocacy without strong networks around them.
- Young people told us of the sudden drop in services when transitioning to adulthood, leaving them to fight for supports that should be seamless.
- And too often, health systems still reduce people to a diagnosis, instead of recognising them as individuals with interests, talents, and ambitions.
From these conversations, clear priorities emerged: the need for stronger peer connection to ease isolation, simpler NDIS communication, structured pathways through life transitions, better relationships with support workers, and a health system that treats people as whole people—not just conditions.
CPSN is already taking action. We’re building our community through events, creating clear resources to simplify the NDIS, and tailoring our support worker program to focus on genuine, long-term relationships. We’re also partnering with organisations like CP Australia and My CP Guide to amplify voices and push for wider systemic change.
By listening first, we’re shaping a future that is more connected, compassionate, and centred on the real lives of people with CP. Read more about the full findings in the CEO Open Letter.
Insights led to a special event at the Zoo connecting clients, community & team
After months of planning and anticipation, CPSN was proud to host a major community gathering on Saturday 9 November 2024 at Melbourne Zoo’s Leopard Lodge.
This was our first large-scale social event since the COVID pandemic, and the excitement was felt on both sides—our community eager to come together again, and our staff just as keen to bring the event to life.
Tickets were in high demand, with the first allocation selling out in just twelve hours.
On the day, more than 120 guests joined us: people with Cerebral Palsy and other disabilities, alongside their families, friends and support workers.
The event was designed with accessibility at its core. From the provision of a detailed social script beforehand, to ensuring the venue felt safe and welcoming, every detail aimed to create an inclusive space where everyone could connect with confidence. Over lunch, attendees enjoyed not only good food and conversation, but also the rare opportunity to connect more broadly across the CPSN community, meet our dedicated team, and share in a collective sense of belonging. After lunch, attendees were free to explore the Zoo in their own time.
The feedback we received reflected this spirit:
“An inclusive opportunity to be who we are, be inspired by each other and form connections to strengthen our sense of belonging and our collective voice.”
“The event’s inclusiveness allowed all persons with disabilities and their families to share personal stories and see that they are not alone.”
“Wow, our first visit to this special community event is heartwarming as we all share the same understanding of people with CP.”
This day marked more than a return to events—it was a powerful reminder of the importance of connection, community, and shared experiences.
Read the Full Re-Cap of the event here
My CP Guide
My CP Guide is an online platform that provides up to date information, data, and facts about Cerebral Palsy. Since its inception, My CP Guide and CPSN have worked closely together to share our combined knowledge and work in the CP field together. CPSN and My CP Guide content are routinely featured alongside the other content on each other’s channels to share and capture the needs and experiences of people with CP.
CP-Achieve Consumer Research Conference
CPSN attended the April 2025 CP Achieve Consumer Research Conference, a national event exploring how people with Cerebral Palsy can move from being “passengers to pilots” in their own lives. The conference brought together people with CP, families, clinicians, and researchers to discuss key life transitions such as adolescence, education, employment, health care, and independence. Adolescents with CP shared powerful reflections on the importance of accessible health care, mental health support, and opportunities to build independence.
A consistent theme was the need for greater agency, ensuring people with CP have real influence over the decisions that shape their lives. For CPSN, the conference reinforced the value of consumer-led research and the importance of amplifying lived experience to guide systems change and improve outcomes across the CP community.
Read more from Josh’s and Alison’s reflections.
Download the full CPSN 2024–2025 Annual Report here
Explore all sections of the 2024/2025 Annual Report:
Annual Report 2024–2025: A Message from our Chair and CEO
Annual Report 2024–2025: Our Services
Annual Report 2024–2025: Our People
Annual Report 2024–2025: Reimagine our Image
Annual Report 2024–2025: Community & Advocacy
CPSN
