El Gibbs
Round black and white photo of a woman with shoulder length hair wearing glasses looking at the camera

Bachelor of Arts in Communication, 2002
Community Award

El is passionate about the meaningful involvement of people with disability in public policy and public life. She has devoted over fifteen years to working in policy, strategy and advocacy for the rights of people with disability and is a highly respected expert in the media and policy.

El was part of the team that campaigned to establish the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability — the largest of its kind in Australian history. Her live analysis of the Royal Commission hearings on Twitter made them markedly more accessible. El also presented evidence to in her role as director of media and communications for People with Disabilities Australia (PwDA), a national organisation run by and for people with disabilities. 

She has also worked or consulted for government and NGOs on issues including family planning and social security. In 2015, she delivered a review of social media use during the Blue Mountains bushfires for the NSW Government, looking at innovative models for managing emergency information.

El has been a leading voice for people with disabilities and chronic illness since the COVID-19 pandemic began, establishing an information clearinghouse on Facebook which was an essential source of information for many. She has been recognised for her volunteer work, winning the Lesley Hall Lifetime Achievement Award at the National Awards for Disability Leadership in 2020.

An established speaker and writer, El’s work has been published by outlets including the ABC, Sydney Morning Herald, the Guardian, Overland and Eureka Street. She also has an essay in the book Growing Up Disabled in Australia, published in early 2021.

I am determined to see more disabled people leading the organisations that represent us, and for more of us to be building a world that fits disabled people, rather than expecting us to fit into a non-disabled one.

Acknowledgement of Country

UTS acknowledges the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation, the Boorooberongal people of the Dharug Nation, the Bidiagal people and the Gamaygal people, upon whose ancestral lands our university stands. We would also like to pay respect to the Elders both past and present, acknowledging them as the traditional custodians of knowledge for these lands.