
Dr Ariella Meltzer
BSocSci (Hons 1st)
PhD (Social Policy) (2015)
I am a Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for Social Impact »Ê¹Ú²ÊƱ, working to help disability-focused for-purpose/social economy organisations (e.g. not-for-profits, charities, service providers) with the challenge of how to deliver on the personalised, inclusive and accessible services that people with disability and their families have shown us that they need. I do this by helping these organisations define their scope and the sub-sectors they are part of, articulate their context, and/or communicate their impact, all the while aligning with an evidence-base of lived experience perspectives from people with disability and their families about what is required to truly support them.
I am particularly interested in research about information accessibility for people with disability (including accessible crisis information), siblings and disability (including sibling support), and employment of people with disability.
I operate to a research model that strives to give voice to and connect lived experience and organisational perspectives to drive social impact. I am experienced in complex qualitative research, including projects involving multiple stakeholders, longitudinal components, complex project management requirements, multiple methods and diverse information needs for different audiences. My skills cross field work with people with disability and their family members, analysis of complex qualitative data, presentation of information for different audiences and capacity building with organisations.
- Publications
- Media
- Grants
- Awards
- Research Activities
- Engagement
- Teaching and Supervision
»Ê¹Ú²ÊƱ Business School Research Impact Award (2020)
±«±·³§°ÂÌý Arts and Social Sciences Dean's Award for Research Society Impact (2015)
Current projects
- What is 'accessible knowledge exchange'? (Chief Investigator; collaborative project with the National Centre of Excellence in Intellectual Disability Health).Â
- Evaluation of the St Vincent de Paul Society's Supported Open Employment Program (Chief Investigator; collaborative project with the Centre for Social Impact, Swinburne University of Technology).Â
- Social impact and collaboration services for Together4Youth (co-Chief Investigator; project for Together4Youth and the Raise Youth Mentoring Foundation).
Recently completed projects
- Evaluation of the Building Employer Confidence and Inclusion in Disability Grant Program (Chief Investigator; project for the Department of Social Services).Â
- Better acknowledging and resourcing the information accessibility sector in Australia (Chief Investigator; project funded by the »Ê¹Ú²ÊƱ Disability Innovation Institute).Â
My Research Supervision
Sierra Bromwich - studying self-determination developing among young people with intellectual disability (co-supervising with Maree Higgins and Leanne Dowse; School of Social Sciences »Ê¹Ú²ÊƱ).