Reducing Patient Accessibility Barriers in the Clinical Setting and the Value of Lived Experience
With Hannah McPierzie, Disability Consultant & Advocate &
Chair, DeafBlind West Australians &
Non-Executive Director, Deafness Forum Australia
PEOPLE IN HEALTH CARE SEGMENT
Filmed in Perth | October 2025
Hannah McPierzie is a globally respected presenter, disability advocate, and educator who offers a unique perspective on disability and communication. She lives with Neurofibromatosis Type 2, a rare degenerative condition, and has two auditory brainstem implants. After 15 years teaching in the disability sector, Hannah acquired disability herself in 2020, when life-saving surgery left her deafblind.
Combining her professional expertise with lived experience, Hannah’s advocacy highlights the barriers people with disability face when navigating health systems, particularly in relation to communication access. She works with universities, hospitals, research institutes, private companies, and government agencies to build critical awareness of disability and to embed inclusive practices into policy and service design.
As Chairperson of Deafblind West Australians, Hannah has led initiatives that strengthen peer support and outreach for people with deafblindness. She is also a Non-Executive Director of Deafness Forum Australia, where she contributes to national advocacy on hearing loss. Her projects have included making advance care planning accessible for people with sensory loss, delivering community awareness training, and supporting the next generation of young leaders with disability.
Hannah is a keynote speaker at national and international conferences, where she champions the role of lived experience in health professions education and systemic reform. Her work consistently addresses the challenges of fragmented systems, inaccessible communication, and the need for genuine inclusion in decision-making.
Based in Perth, Western Australia, Hannah continues to drive change that prioritises dignity, accessibility, and equity.
Deafblindness is described as a unique and isolating sensory disability resulting from the combination of both hearing and vision loss or impairment. This has a significant affect on communication, socialisation, mobility and daily living
People who are deafblind can and do achieve their goals, with the right supports and services.
To join Deafblind West Australians go to our
Membership page
Deafblind West Australians
Deafblind West Australians provides support and network opportunities for people living with deafblindness in Western Australia.
The DBWA organisation represents people who are deafblind living in Western Australia. This group is run by Members .
- We support people who are deafblind to live fulfilling lives.
- We help members to undertake activities they would find difficult without support.
- We organise social events to enable our deafblind members to network and make new friends.
- We organise educational and training experiences for our members in areas such as medical research, technology and other supports related to deafblindness.
- We advocate for change and better support for our members and raise awareness of deafblindness in the community.
DBWA Connect
Deafblind West Australians has created an opportunity for people who are deafblind to “connect” at our DBWA Connect Drop In Centre.
The DBWA Connect Drop In centre is open on Wednesday (fortnightly), We are a drop in centre focused on activities for our participants, including games, activities, assistive technology, craft, guest speakers and information sharing as well as peer support for the Deafblind Community. The DBWA Connect Drop In centre is where people who are deafblind can help each other.
Come along and learn basic Auslan from 12:30PM to 1:15PM as part of DBWA Connect.
The DBWA Connect Drop In centre is located at The Rise, 28 Eighth Avenue Maylands from 12:30PM to 3:30PM. We have Auslan Interpreters onsite from 12:30PM to 3PM to facilitate conversations.
DBWA Connect Drop in Centre on Facebook
DBWA Connect
For more details contact our Events planner via email events@dbwa.org.au