Di Winkler

Change Agent, Idea generator, Social entrepreneur

Di Winkler is an Occupational Therapist who has worked with people with severe brain injury for more than twenty years. Di was the Chief Occupational Therapist at Ivanhoe Manor Private Rehabilitation Hospital prior to developing a private practice working with people with acquired brain injury. Di completed a Masters by Research at La Trobe University entitled "Factors that lead to successful community integration following severe traumatic brain injury". In 2012, Di completed a PhD at Monash University, which involved a series of studies that focused on younger people in nursing homes. In January 2006, Di founded the Summer Foundation. The key aim of the Summer Foundation is to change human service policy and practice related to young people in nursing homes. To achieve this, the foundation focuses on three strategic areas: conducting and fostering research that provides an evidence base for change; supporting people with disability to tell their story to raise awareness and keep the issue on the political and public agenda; and by establishing, evaluating and documenting housing demonstration projects in order to encourage others to replicate these projects to increase the range and number of housing and support options for people with disability. The Summer Foundation is a hub for networking and information sharing, and fosters collaboration and efficiency by reducing the resources spent on “reinventing the wheel" in different states and across different disability groups. The Summer Foundation disseminates information and facilitates the development of innovative solutions by working in partnership with people with disabilities, families, government, corporations and other groups in the not-for-profit sector.

The inclusion of people with disability in society and improving the health, wellbeing and education of indigenous Australians

Peppering housing for people with disabilities in to medium-high residential developments rather than stand alone segregated services.

Disability, occupational therapy