About Us
Inclusive Educators Australia (IEA) is a professional organisation that represents and connects educators committed to realising every child and young person’s right to inclusive education.
Our members work across early childhood, primary, and secondary education, and share a deep belief that all children and young people should learn, grow, and thrive in their local early learning centre or school as equal members of an inclusive educational community. We are committed to strengthening an education system that embraces diversity and removes the barriers that limit access, participation, and achievement.
Our work is grounded in national and international legal and policy frameworks, including:
- United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC)
- United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), particularly Article 24 and General Comment No. 4
- Disability Discrimination Act (1992)
- Disability Standards for Education (2005)
- Alice Springs (Mparntwe) Education Declaration
- UN Sustainable Development Goals.
These frameworks guide our shared professional responsibility to ensure inclusive education is realised in practice.
What inclusive education actually means
Inclusive education is not simply about placement in a mainstream early learning centre or school setting. It is an approach to education that:
- Recognises the right of every child and young person to attend their local early learning centre or school and access high-quality education and care.
- Values diversity as a strength, and proactively plans for the presence, participation, and success of all children and young people.
- Prioritises wellbeing, meaningful engagement, and academic growth.
- Removes barriers to learning, ensuring access to the regular curriculum in age-appropriate classrooms and contexts alongside peers.
- Rejects segregation and moves beyond integration, challenging the idea that children and young people must keep up, or fit in, with normative expectations before they can learn alongside their peers.
- Enhances learning environments and instructional practices to ensure equitable opportunities and learning progress for all children and young people.
- Calls for coordinated reform across culture, settings, resourcing, and systems to uphold the rights of all children and young people.
Inclusive education is grounded in high expectations for every student, and for the educators, early learning centres, schools, and education systems responsible for delivering quality education and care. It acts as a catalyst for improvement by strengthening learning communities, enhancing teaching and learning, and lifting outcomes for all.
Why inclusive education matters
Inclusive education is fundamental to creating a high-quality education system and a more just society. It is grounded in the recognition that every child and young person has the right to learn and participate fully in their local early learning centre or school without exception.
Research shows that inclusive education leads to improved academic, social, and wellbeing outcomes for students with and without disability. It also strengthens teaching practice, organisational culture, and community belonging. When education settings are inclusive, all students benefit from richer peer relationships, higher quality instruction, and the opportunity to learn in environments that reflect the diversity of the world around them.
Meet our Board
Loren Swancutt
Co-founder and Chairperson
Loren is an experienced teacher, school leader, and system-level advisor dedicated to advancing inclusive education in Australia. With extensive experience in early childhood, primary, and secondary contexts, she has led successful whole-school inclusive reform and coached school leaders across Australia to drive inclusive school improvement. Loren is renowned for her expertise in inclusive curriculum and pedagogy, curriculum adjustments, and including students with complex learning profiles. As the co-founder and national convener of the IEA-Network (formerly the School Inclusion Network for Educators – SINE), she actively contributes to the national dialogue on inclusive education, providing expertise to policy discussions, including Senate inquiries, education legislation reviews, and as an expert witness at the Disability Royal Commission. Loren continues to practice as a teacher and works as a consultant, directly supporting schools to implement inclusive practices. She holds a Master of Inclusive Education and is currently pursuing a Doctor of Education (EdD) at Queensland University of Technology (QUT), where she is a research student member of the Centre for Inclusive Education.
Katya Brandon
Director
Katya is a Learning Partner, Behaviour, at the Melbourne Archdiocese of Catholic Schools (MACS), where she consults with schools on student behaviour support. With over 30 years of experience in education, Katya’s most recent role was as Head of Student Enhancement at a large Catholic secondary school in Melbourne. She uses evidence-based research and her professional experience to address students’ learning and social-emotional needs in inclusive settings. Katya has worked in teaching and leadership positions across government, independent, and Catholic primary and secondary schools in Victoria and Queensland. She holds a Master of Learning Intervention from the University of Melbourne and received the Isobel Merle Collier Prize for her research in literacy intervention. Katya’s international experience includes applying a bi-lingual Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) intervention at Chulalongkorn University Demonstration School in Bangkok to address disengagement in students with autism. Katya also contributes her expertise through tertiary education and volunteer work, including her role as Diversity and Inclusion Consultant to Ukrainian Scouts in Australia, where she has introduced UDL and positive behaviour principles.
Dr Amelia Edwards
Director
Amelia is a Certified Practicing Speech Pathologist with 15 years of experience supporting individuals with communication disabilities across various settings, including educational environments. She is currently a clinical lead at a large disability service provider in South Australia. Amelia completed a PhD in 2015, focusing on how parents of children on the autism spectrum make decisions about interventions. Passionate about inclusive education, Amelia is dedicated to supporting the inclusion of students who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). In 2021, she completed a Master of Education (Inclusive Education Specialisation) at Queensland University of Technology (QUT).
Dr Bob Jackson
Director
Bob is a highly regarded expert and consultant in disability and education, a registered psychologist, and an Adjunct Associate Professor at Curtin University in Perth, WA. He also contributes to research and teaching at three Perth universities. Bob has had a distinguished career in disability services, starting in the 1970s as a psychologist and working in roles such as institution superintendent, service manager, and Regional Director with the Disability Services Commission of Western Australia. From 1990 to 2003, he served as Director of the Edith Cowan University Centre for Disability Research and Development and as Associate Professor of Special Education. This Centre ran a Commonwealth-funded Supported Employment Program and a research project on early intervention for children with autism. Bob has been a leader in school inclusion since 1995, advising families, teachers, schools, and education systems on inclusion practices. His extensive work includes a comprehensive review of inclusion literature and presentations across Australia to parents and teachers. He remains an active private consultant in disability and education and is a co-founder of All Means All – The Australian Alliance for Inclusive Education.
Wendy House
Director
Wendy has taught within South Australian schools for over forty years, with thirty years of experience as a successful leader and innovator, including serving as Principal. Her career also includes corporate roles such as Leadership Consultant and Director of the South Australian Centre for Leaders in Education, as well as managing highly effective National Partnerships in literacy and numeracy. Wendy has led transformative reforms in both country and metropolitan schools, including in challenging and complex settings. She is known for creating measurable improvements by encouraging commitment and “turning around practice” to achieve the best outcomes for all students. As Principal at Springbank Secondary College, Wendy’s participation in the ‘Inclusive Schools Network’ through Purple Orange in South Australia led her to reassess traditional schooling structures, motivating her to lead Springbank in creating a genuinely inclusive setting. She also led the redevelopment of the school’s learning spaces, collaborating with architects to embed student voice and inclusive design, resulting in award-winning spaces. Today, Springbank is a lead school in inclusive education and continues to build its capacity to ensure all students succeed through high-quality inclusive teaching practices.
India Lennerth
Director
India is an experienced teacher and school leader in South Australia, with a passion for supporting teachers to implement inclusive practices. She has held roles as an Inclusive Leader and Deputy Principal at a large government high school, building staff capacity in inclusive speech and language practices and differentiation. Most recently, India became Head of Inclusion at a new South Australian Department for Education Birth to Year 12 school, where she spearheaded the school’s inclusive education framework. She now works in a system-level role focused on advancing inclusive practices across public schools in South Australia. India is nationally certified as a Lead Teacher (APST) and is skilled in training, supporting, and coaching leaders, teachers, and paraprofessionals. In 2021, she co-presented at a National Inclusive Education conference on using a community of practice model to advance inclusive practices and was also engaged as a casual academic at Flinders University. Before becoming a teacher, India taught dance to young people with disabilities and was heavily involved in the performing arts. She holds a Bachelor of Dance Performance, a Master of Teaching, a Graduate Certificate in Trauma Aware Practice, and recently completed a Master of Inclusive Education at Queensland University of Technology.
Natasha Milanko
Director
Natasha is an award-winning teacher, disability advocate, and author dedicated to empowering educators to create inclusive environments for diverse learners. As a media developer and instructional designer, Natasha uses innovation and multimedia approaches to develop evidence-based professional learning. A key focus of her work is ensuring quality professional learning is accessible to educators in rural and remote areas across the vast geographical area of Western Australia. Natasha is passionate about the effective use of education assistants and fostering positive peer relationships between students with and without disabilities. She is the author of Tessa’s Best Friend, a picture book that promotes connections between young students with and without disabilities, which is now available in school libraries across Western Australia.
Catherine Morris
Director
Catherine is an experienced secondary school teacher and school leader who has successfully led inclusive school reform at a school in North Queensland. She worked collaboratively with the school’s leadership team, staff, parents, and students to significantly transform culture and practice. Catherine has developed school-wide processes and policies that align with the Queensland Department of Education’s Inclusive Education Policy and the Disability Standards for Education (2005). With considerable experience as a Co-teacher, Catherine is a strong advocate for co-teaching as a strategy to support inclusive education. She has presented on co-teaching in high school settings at regional, state, and national conferences. Catherine has also been seconded into regional roles in North Queensland, including Regional Head of Inclusive Schooling, and Principal Advisor: Inclusion, where she worked with principals and school leadership teams to advance inclusive education practices. Catherine’s expertise in inclusive education was also recognised when she served as an expert witness at the Disability Royal Commission. She continues to work with schools in North Queensland in advisory and leadership roles, supporting ongoing inclusive education reform.
Andrew Wilson
Director
Andrew is an experienced lawyer and company director with over 30 years of legal experience. He is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and a member of the Risk Management Institution of Australasia. With a strong background in corporate governance, Andrew has served as a director of various public companies and as a director or chairperson of several not-for-profit organisations. His expertise in governance and risk management plays a key role in shaping the governance of Inclusive Educators Australia (IEA). As the parent of a child with disability, Andrew is deeply committed to advocating for an inclusive education system. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Marketing) and a Master of Laws.
FAQ
General Questions
Inclusive Educators Australia is a not-for-profit professional organisation dedicated to advancing inclusive education across schools and systems.
IEA supports inclusive education by providing research-informed resources, professional learning, and practical tools that help educators translate inclusive principles into everyday practice. We also advocate for system-wide transformation grounded in rights-based and evidence-based approaches.
The IEA-Community is for anyone committed to advancing inclusive education. Educators across all sectors—whether in early childhood, primary, or secondary—will find valuable resources, connections, and learning opportunities here. School leaders, support staff, allied health professionals, researchers, and advocates are also welcome, making this a diverse network united by a shared goal: ensuring every learner is included.
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contact@inclusiveeducators.org.au
We respect and honour Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders past, present and future. We acknowledge the stories, traditions and living cultures of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples on this land and commit to building a brighter future together.
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