As a parent of three autistic children with complex needs, Kathrine Peereboom’s world has been shaped by advocacy. Alongside that journey, one constant has remained: community.
And for many years, that community has come together at ImpactInstitute Disability and Workability expos.
“Expos were one of the first places I found people who truly understood,” Kathrine says. “You walk in carrying so many questions, and suddenly you’re not alone.”
Like many families new to disability, Kathrine remembers how overwhelming the early years felt. Systems were complex, support pathways unclear, and the emotional toll was heavy. Finding trustworthy information mattered, but so did finding connection.
“At ImpactInstitute expos, everything was in one place,” she says. “Service providers, other parents, advocates…conversations happened naturally. You could ask the ‘big’ questions without fear of judgement.”
What sets ImpactInstitute’s Disability and WorkAbility Expos apart is that they’re not just about services. They’re about visibility. Kathrine explains that for families navigating disability, everyday life can be isolating. ImpactInstitute expos create a space where lived experience is recognised, not explained away.
That commitment to lived experience is intentional. As ImpactInstitute’s Expo Event Director, Kathryn Carey explains, “It is important to us to work closely with people who have both real-life experience and who are experts in their field. Kathrine brings both to the table in abundance. Being able to work with Kathrine over a number of years has been a game changer and she was key speaker in our WorkAbility program.”
Over the years, Kathrine’s relationship with ImpactInstitute expos has evolved. What began as attending to learn and connect eventually became a way to give back. Through her charity, Spectrum Support, and later iSafe Connect, ImpactInstitute expos became a platform to listen, share, and collaborate.
“ImpactInstitute expos aren’t one-way,” she says. “They’re not just for people looking for support. They’re for people creating change, too.”
At ImpactInstitute’s Disability and WorkAbility Expos, Kathrine has seen first-hand how meaningful conversations can grow into lasting impact, partnerships, new ideas, and solutions shaped directly by lived experience.
“So much innovation starts on the expo floor,” she says. “You hear stories. You see gaps. You realise what’s missing and sometimes that’s what sparks something new.”
ImpactInstitute designs its expos to bring people together, individuals, families, service providers, employers and advocates, in one inclusive space. These expos allow people to listen, learn and connect in ways that simply don’t happen online or in isolation.
For the mum of three, one of the most powerful outcomes of attending ImpactInstitute expos is confidence. Families leave better informed, more supported, and often reassured that they’re not navigating their journey alone.
“People walk out lighter than they walked in,” she says. “They’ve found answers, or at least direction. And that makes a huge difference.”
After years of attending, exhibiting and engaging, Kathrine believes ImpactInstitute expos remain one of the most important touchpoints in the disability landscape. “They bring the community together in a way nothing else does…They remind us that progress doesn’t happen in isolation.”
Whether you attend as a participant, an employer, a service provider or an advocate, ImpactInstitute expos create space for meaningful conversations and real change to begin.
To learn more about upcoming expos, attend, or exhibit, visit the website and be part of a community making a lasting difference.