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InLife at the 2026 VALID Having a Say conference

This year VALID celebrated 25 Years of of promoting self-advocacy skills to strengthen the voices of people with disability.

3 February 2026 | By Cobey Seamer

Each year, hundreds gather at Deakin University’s Waterfront Campus in Geelong to speak up, be heard and connect around issues that matter in everyday life.

Walking into the VALID Having a Say conference this year reminded me why this event is so important. Being in a space where people with disability are leading the conversation always feels grounding. From the start, it was clear lived experience was at the centre of everything.

This year marked InLife’s fourth year as a proud silver sponsor. Attending as one of InLife’s senior leaders, and as an NDIS participant myself, self-advocacy is something I relate to on multiple levels. The energy across the conference was unmistakable, from packed workshops to social moments that felt open and inclusive.

What stood out for me was hearing directly from people about what inclusion and self-advocacy mean in their own lives. The emphasis on community voices made every session feel relevant and connected to real-world experiences.

InLife highlights

Some InLife highlights included client Melinda Hewitt present My own house, and MY own business. Her speaking about the importance of having her own home and plant business was a strong reminder of what independence can look like with the right support.

HaS’s Got Talent was another standout, as it’s not only a blast but sponsored by InLife. This year Debbie Maddocks was on the judging panel, and competition was fierce. It was Rory's ukulele and singing that wowed the judges in the end, after the finale on Thursday. Rory had travelled all the way from the Blue Mountains to attend VALID.

At the InLife stand, it was a great opportunity to catch up with familiar faces and make new connections.

There was so much joy in seeing people share what they love doing. I left the conference inspired and thoughtful about how I can bring what I learned back into my work at InLife.

I’m already looking forward to seeing everyone again in 2027!

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Cobey Seamer is an Executive Client Service Manager at InLife, a Victorian not-for-profit and registered NDIS disability support provider. He brings more than 15 years of experience across the disability sector, spanning support work, coordination and senior leadership roles, including specialist experience in forensic disability supporting young people and families involved in the criminal justice system. As an NDIS participant, Cobey brings a dual professional and lived-experience perspective to his leadership, strengthening advocacy, service design and outcomes for the people InLife supports. He holds a Diploma of Community Services and is committed to human rights, and building safe, equitable disability support systems.