James Miller is a regional manager at Disability Advocacy, leading a team of disability advocates in the Hunter region of NSW. His work also involves helping people appeal decisions from government agencies such as Centrelink and the National Disability Insurance Agency through the Administrative Appeals Tribunal. James also helps people through guardianship matters at the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal.

From complicated appeals processes, challenges obtaining supporting evidence, access to technology and power imbalances for self-represented parties, James has seen firsthand the challenges people with disability face when accessing justice through tribunal processes.

During COVID-19, Disability Advocacy services needed to adapt from a mostly face-to-face “on the ground” model to an exclusively remote offering. James observed this model increase access and efficiency to advocacy and tribunal processes for some, but for many it increased the already existing barriers and created new challenges.

James has a vision where all people with a disability can be empowered to self-advocate through a tribunal process and be confident they will not be disadvantaged by not having a legal representative or an advocate.