Alex Jones, teacher, performer, Deaf

Alex is an actor, performer and an educator. In 2005, he was Festival Director for the Cultural Festival of the Deaflympic Games in Melbourne and is a principal consultant for FOXTEL. Alex has developed a unique training and education program for primary and secondary schools in communication skills for Deaf and hearing students. Alex is the proud father of his baby boy, Tobian.

Caroline Conlon, artistic director, domestically challenged, Deaf

Caroline is a director, actor, translator and presenter and was born Deaf. She is the Artistic Director of the Australian Theatre of the Deaf, and has performed in New Zealand, Austria, Singapore, United States and Australia. Caroline has a Bachelor of Arts in Communications and Writing and has worked on many English to Auslan translation projects.

David Gwilliam, librarian, student, has Asperger's syndrome

David is 20 years old and a student at Ultimo TAFE where he is completing a Diploma of Library and Information Services. He loves going for walks in the Blue Mountains, watching DVD's and videos, gardening and going to the south coast. David is an employee at Woolworths and in the Library at the University of Western Sydney. He has Asperger's syndrome.

Janel Manns, TAFE teacher, tennis player, uses a wheelchair

Janel is a teacher at North Coast Institute TAFE, Port Macquarie and Kempsey Campuses'. She teaches Certificate IV in Community Services Health Work and Certificate III in Disability Work. Janel has paraplegia and passionately believes in social justice and equality for minority groups and the empowerment of people with a disability. She is a member of the National Women's Wheelchair Tennis Squad.

Jessica Irwin, photographer, skydiver, has cerebral palsy

Jessica works as a photographer in the studio of renowned Australian photographer Ken Duncan. She enjoys riding behind her dad's ski boat in a water ski tube, co-piloting a friend's plane, tandem parasailing and skydiving. She was born with cerebral palsy and says “I have always been up for anything and I am a real daredevil. I love to learn new things”.

Kurt Fearnley OAM, bushie, world champion, teacher, uses a wheelchair

Kurt is a teacher, Paralympic and world marathon champion and current holder of nine individual marathon titles on five continents. He won gold medals in the 5000 metres and the marathon in Athens in 2004 and in 2007 Kurt won gold in the South African, Osaka, Paris, Rome and Los Angeles marathons and has just competed in the Beijing 2008 Paralympics.

Lindy Hou OAM, massage therapist, motivational speaker, cyclist, blind

Lindy is a Paralympic and world champion tandem cyclist. Since losing her sight over ten years ago, Lindy, with her guide dog Harper has made changes in her life - from IT consultant to massage therapist and motivational speaker and from triathlete to tandem cyclist. Lindy now travels the world to compete in races has just competed in the Beijing 2008 Paralympics.

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Dr Mark Bagshaw, strategist, businessman, quadriplegic

Mark is the Managing Director of Innov8 Consulting Group and was formerly Business Development Executive for IBM. His primary focus is to demonstrate to the world business community that addressing the issues faced by people who are economically disadvantaged is right for our society and makes good business and economic sense.

Mash Ferris, audio engineer, runner, has Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy

Mash is a freelance audio engineer. He has worked for artists such as Kate Ceberano, Dragon, Jenny Morris and for the last 14 years Mash has worked with jazz singer/trumpeter Vince Jones, touring nationally and internationally. Mash is a keen runner who competed in his tenth City to Surf run this year.

Matt Laffan, lawyer, rugby enthusiast, paraplegic

Matt is a lawyer for the NSW Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, where he regularly appears in the Local, District and Supreme Court's of NSW. He is a forward thinker who fights for social justice, serves on the Law Society Council of NSW, follows rugby with a passion and because he was born with a rare genetic condition, has his “own set of wheels”.

Michael Bartels, cricket enthusiast, advocate, has an intellectual disability

Michael is the Deputy Chairperson of the NSW Council for Intellectual Disability (NSW CID). He has played cricket for NSW in the Lord's Taverners Shield for people with an intellectual disability for the last nine years and represented Australia in the Australian Allstars Team last year. Michael's philosophy is to ‘never give up', and he is dedicated to giving people with intellectual disability ‘better rights and services' and looking out for them.'

Nathan Johnston, surfer, student, blind

Nathan has been surfing since the age of five, and can often be found carving up the waves at Stanwell Park with his dad and his mates. He completed his HSC in 2004 and was the first person in five years to complete his HSC as an integrated student in the public school system. Nathan is currently working towards a Communications and Media Certificate at TAFE and is interested in pursuing a career in legal studies.

Phillip Coster, artist, traveller, blind

Phillip has been a professional artist for more than 40 years, and has been blind for 10 years. He enjoys long walks with his guide dog around Mudgee and finds inspiration in the landscape for his artworks. Phillip enjoys travelling with his wife and guide dog, experiencing the nature and wonders of Australia and is planning further travel again next year.

Professor Ronald McCallum AO, lawyer, music enthusiast, meditator, blind

Ron is the foundation Blake Dawson Waldron Professor in Industrial Law in the Faculty of Law at the University of Sydney. He is the first person who is blind to have been appointed to a full professorship in any field at any university in Australia or New Zealand. Ron advises governments on industrial relations law, is a music enthusiast and loves to meditate.

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Ros Sackley, advocate, jewellery maker, technology enthusiast, blind

Ros works as a teacher at the Eora College in Sydney, and has been involved in the disability consumer movement for many years. She is interested in the rights of Indigenous people with a disability and has been instrumental in keeping the National Indigenous Disability Network on the agenda for more than 10 years. Ros loves travelling, making jewellery, crossword puzzles, walking, researching technology, reading, and spending time with family, friends and her guide dog, Kira.

Dr Ruby Langford-Ginibi, author, human rights activist, wheelchair user

Ruby was born in northern NSW. She is a proud elder of the Bundjalung people and uses a wheelchair. Ruby's first book Don't Take Your Love to Town, was originally published in 1988 and republished in 2007. She also wrote Real Deadly, My Bundjalung People and Haunted by the Past. Her fifth book, All My Mob was published in 2007.

Ruth Cromer, actor, advocate, office worker, has Down's syndrome

Ruth works at the Head Office of St George Bank as a clerk. She has also worked as an actor, starring in the television series House Gang and appeared in two episodes of A Country Practice. Ruth won the Medibank Private Arts Award: Young Australian of the Year Awards in 1998 for her work as an actor and as an advocate for people with Down's syndrome.

Sarah Tracton, writer, filmmaker, Deaf

Sarah is a writer and filmmaker. Her short documentary, White Sound, has been screened at festivals worldwide and it is a finalist for a prestigious ATOM Enhance TV Award. Sarah was recognised for her work in raising awareness of hearing loss in the community when she received the 2008 Spirit of SHHH Award. Sarah is currently a writer at the Community Broadcasting Association of Australia.

Tony Purkiss, yachtsman, suicide bomb survivor, blind

Tony was born in Armidale and spent 13 years in the banking and finance industry, worked in hotel management and was a newsagent at Charlestown Square for 12 years. He is a committed yachtsman, competing in nine Sydney to Hobart Yacht Races, which included surviving two near-death experiences and in 2005 he came face-to-face with a suicide bomber in Bali and is legally blind as a result of this. Tony's vision for the future remains active, exciting and positive. He is now a motivational speaker, enjoys sailing and also pilots a plane.

Tracey Barrell OAM, mother, champion sportswoman, member of the workforce, triple congenital amputee

Tracy is an employee at Sutherland Shire Council and a mother of two. She competed at the Barcelona Paralympics in 1992, winning a gold medal in swimming and was awarded the Order of Australia Medal in 1993 for outstanding contribution to sport. Tracy represented Australia last year at the Shanghai Women's Sitting Volleyball Tournament and was selected as an Australia Day Ambassador. She was also selected as one of the 100 faces of the Sutherland Shire to commemorate 100 years of the Shire.