Driving positive change in equity, diversity and inclusion

Associate Professor Jill Duncan OAM is an internationally recognised academic, educational leader, and advisor in disability, equity, and inclusive education. Her career spans senior public service, not-for-profit leadership, and academia, with a sustained focus on improving outcomes for children, young people, and adults with disability through evidence-informed policy, governance, and practice.

Jill currently serves as Chair of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) Evidence Advisory Committee, providing independent expert advice to government on the generation, translation, and use of evidence to improve outcomes for people with disability. She is also Chair of the NSW Women’s Council and a member of the NSW Disability Council, contributing to whole-of-government advice on gender equity, inclusion, and disability policy in New South Wales.

In recognition of her national leadership and service, Jill was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in 2025 for her service to people who are Deaf or hard of hearing, and for her contributions to disability and inclusive higher education.

Jill provides significant academic and scholarly leadership. She has served as Editor-in-Chief of Deafness & Education International, a Taylor & Francis international journal published online and in print, since 2016. In this role, she leads the journal’s international scholarly direction and contributes to advancing research, policy, and professional practice in deaf and inclusive education.

Her research program is focused on deaf education, inclusive education, disability rights, social capital, and equity in education systems. Jill has secured competitive research and engagement funding from Australian Government agencies and international philanthropic organisations, including recent grants from the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership and philanthropic foundations. She has an extensive publication record in high-quality international journals and has contributed book chapters with leading academic publishers.

Jill has supervised numerous higher degree research candidates to completion and currently supervises doctoral and master’s students across Australia, contributing to research capacity building in disability and inclusive education. She is an experienced examiner, ARC detailed assessor, and peer reviewer for a wide range of international journals and research bodies, including advisory and review work for the World Health Organization.

At the University of Newcastle, Jill leads the Deaf Studies and Deaf Education specialisation within the Master of Special and Inclusive Education, where she contributes to postgraduate teaching, curriculum leadership, and professional learning for educators nationally and internationally.

Her earlier senior leadership roles include Director, Professional Practice and Leadership Division with the Department of Education Victoria, where she led system-wide initiatives and major reviews, including the Program for Students with Disabilities, impacting more than 24,000 students annually. She has also served as Executive Director of both US-based and Australian-based centres for Deaf children, where she led service innovation and pioneered early technology-enabled education and family support programs.

In addition to her academic and government service, for well over a decade, Jill served as a non-executive director of Aussie Deaf Kids and has provided expert advice and evidence as an expert witness to parliamentary inquiries, royal commissions, and legislative reviews.

Across her career, Associate Professor Jill Duncan OAM has demonstrated sustained leadership at the intersection of research, policy, and practice. Her work is characterised by a strong commitment to evidence, governance, and equity, and to driving positive, measurable change for people with disability and the communities that support them.