Elly Desmarchelier

Elly Desmarchelier is a sought after speaker, writer, event facilitator and disability rights advocate.

As a proud disabled woman, Elly was the national spokesperson for the Defend Our NDIS campaign during the 2022 Federal election. Her fierce advocacy has gained her access to rooms where decisions are made that impact the lives of Australians with disability, such as speaking at the Prime Minister’s 2022 Jobs and Skills Summit.

From appearing on national TV on shows such as The Project, The Drum, Q&A and 7:30, to speaking at the Sydney Opera House for the 2023 All About Women Festival, Elly shares her insights and experiences on being a disabled woman in modern society. Her writing has been featured in national publications such as Sydney Morning Herald, The Guardian and the ABC.

Elly is featured in the National Archives of Australia exhibition: Disrupt, persist, invent: Australians in an ever-changing world for her advocacy work, particularly on the Defend Our NDIS campaign. She was also a finalist in the Marie Claire’s 2022 Women of the Year Awards.

Fuelling her advocacy, Elly is determined to create change for the 1 in 5 Australians with disability and believes that’s only possible if people with disability have a seat at the table.

In her down time, you will find Elly at home in Brisbane with her partner, Chantelle with their two lazy but loveable dogs.

Elly Desmarchelier Talks About

Proudly disabled

Elly has lived experience – Elly is proudly disabled. Born with Cerebral Palsy and diagnosed with ADHD at the age of 28, the bigger the barrier, the more stubbornly determined Elly is to overcome it.

Creating change

Elly knows how to create change – through her time in politics and on the campaign trail, Elly has learnt lots along the way, fine tuning her advocacy to deliver tangible change for people with disability.

Diversity, inclusion and accessibility

Elly knows how to deliver diversity, inclusion and accessibility – Elly knows what it takes to create a more diverse, inclusive and accessible society and it can happen one person, team and business at a time. If you want to make your business/services more accessible to people with disability, Elly knows how to do it.

Leadership during tough times

When times are tough, Elly shows leadership – At a time when the NDIS was at a crossroads, Elly stepped up as National Spokesperson for the Defend Our NDIS campaign and showed vulnerability in sharing her own NDIS story. During a hotly contested election, Elly’s work made the NDIS one of the top 3 issues talked about across the campaign period (Essential Media, 2022) and delivered real commitments for people with disability.

Gender equality and LGBTIQ+ issues

Elly is passionate about gender equality and LGBTIQ+ issues – Elly recognises that women with disability face even greater inequalities than men with disability. As a proud feminist and member of the LGBTIQ+ community, Elly understands the issues faced by people from many marginalised communities and is passionate about working with them to find solutions.

Politics and media

Elly understands how to navigate politics and media – Elly understands the current political and media climate and can speak to how best to engage with government and media outlets in a way that delivers outcomes.