ABB Board
Dr. Zhila Hasanloo
Zhila is a disability researcher and a passionate advocate for rights of all people with disability. Zhila has worked for Multicultural Disability Advocacy Association, managing a project called Sexual Lives and Respectful Relationships which was rolled out over 2 sites in NSW.
This project focused on sexual abuse and violence prevention for people with intellectual disabilities. Concerned with the Welbeing of young children living with disability, currently she works for the NSW Government, department of Education in Disability and Inclusion Program as Project Officer.
Zhila has a PhD degree in Education from Sydney University which focuses on Disability rights and the disability Arts Movement. Utilising Arts Informed Methodology, in her PhD, Zhila created a radio drama based on the real life experiences of blind and low visioned people.
This radio drama, called Hopes Springs Eternal, was produced in both English and Persian languages and later was broadcast on Vision Australia radio and the Radio Drama channel in Iran. Zhila has been Member of numerous boards and advisory committees and was the Chairperson of Multicultural Disability Advocacy Association for 3 years.
DR. ZHILA HASANLOO
Zhila is the Founder and Director of Ability Beyond Boundaries which aims to promote the inclusion of people with disability in society with a specific focus on raising awareness for Persian communities. As a leader and ambassador for people with disability, she takes every opportunity to protest against the societal negative attitudes and discrimination against disability.
Zhila says: “With being proud of who we are, with the heads up, we embrace our identity as disabled persons, and participate in our communities. We are disability ambassadors and believe awareness stimulates tolerance and diversity for everyone”.
Richard Silberer
A former Electronics Engineer by profession, Richard has graduated from University of Technology Sydney. He has worked for Australian Defence Force for 10 years and in Europe for leading telecommunication businesses such as Siemens for over 20 years prior to his retirement on Disability grounds.
Richard strongly believes that with the right tools people with disability can live a fulfilled life and reach their goals. Returning from Europe after 23 years, Richard is a keen participant and advocate for NDIS in fulfilling the life of people living with disability through identifying and reaching their goals and aspirations. “NDIS make their lives easier in their own homes rather than in an institution and in engagement in society in a way that can change societal attitudes towards disability for a win win situation for all” Richard says.
With a keen interest in the issues of parents with disability and child relationship with the parents, Richard believes that there is a need for family awareness in this field.
Being passionate about welfare of people living with disability Richard is sitting on Cumberland Council Access committee to contribute his personal experiences about what people with disability face in their lives.
RICHARD SILBERER
Dr. Nuredin Mahmoodi
Over the past 12 years Nuredin has obtained a wealth of knowledge about issues of disability and disability rights as he has been part of several disability related projects. With the assistance of people with disability themselves and also having close collaboration with them, most of these projects reflect on the unspoken stories of people.
Nuredin has achieved his PhD in Philosophy of Education from Tehran University. In his Dissertation, his main focus was on a model on enhancing creativity and arts in education. As a proactive scholar, he has been involved in various projects like developing the creative mind of the children and also on empowering people with disability and he is an author of several books and journal articles on such topics.
