Clicka Awards 2023: representation, access and the NDIS Review
Clicka Awards 2023
By Tristram Peters · Originally published 20 December 2023
Original article and dated context
Tristram Peters is Head of Participant Engagement at Clickability, helping participants find and connect with service providers. He also co-hosts the Grow Bold with Disability podcast.
Our favourite holiday tradition is here! Of course, we’re referring to our annual Clicka Awards, where we celebrate the very best of the year that was.
And truthfully, we’ve had no shortage of things to celebrate in 2023: with greater disability representation on our screens, more innovations to improve access, and big ol’ reviews.
So, let’s not delay – let’s get straight into it.
Best Representation
Each year, we celebrate authentic disability representation in media, including movies and TV shows that feature actors or showrunners with lived experience of disability. 2023 didn’t disappoint, either.
Most recently, we’ve seen the famed sci-fi series Doctor Who introduce a character in a wheelchair. And in case you were wondering: yes, the character shoots missiles from her wheelchair!
Best yet, the character is played by a disabled actress, Ruth Madeley, giving the role the type of authenticity that we’re always craving on our screens. Read about why this matters here.
Another show that we need to celebrate is Mixmups, a stop-animation children’s series with characters who are partially sighted and who rely on a wheelchair to get around.
Rebecca Atkinson created the series when she realised that too many children’s toys didn’t authentically represent disability. What better way to fix this than create your own show!?
As she writes in the Guardian, ‘[I asked myself,] could I devise a format appealing enough to exist without mention of disability, then add disabled characters to enrich and deepen the premise?’
The answer: yes!
Best Innovation
People with disability have long lamented the difficulty they experience when booking tickets for sporting matches, music festivals, and other events. We’ve even written about it previously.
Imagine wanting to book a ticket to see your favourite band, but not being able to do it online like everyone else… instead you must complete a form and wait for a call back. That was the sad reality.
Well, not anymore! Ticketek has launched a new ticket booking platform with the type of accessibility features we’ve always wanted. We can now:
- book accessible tickets ‘online and in real-time’.
- request accommodations for vision and hearing impairments.
- redeem additional tickets for our companions online.
We often criticise organisations when things go badly, but we need to be quicker to praise when things go well. So Ticketek, thank you. This is monumental. We now hope others follow suit.
Biggest Review
We don’t know if it’s necessarily the best just yet, but the biggest review was the NDIS review, which recently published its recommendations on how to make the NDIS both fairer and safer.
A lot must happen before these recommendations are accepted, if they ever are, but we unpacked what they would mean in a recent blog post. Check it out to understand what it means for you.
The one thing worth noting is that this will likely be a five-year journey, so any changes will take some time to be implemented.
[Clickability update, October 2026: This was the expectation expressed in the 2023 article, not a guaranteed timetable. Check current NDIS reform information for changes and implementation details.]
And from us…
Like always, we want to wish you all a happy and festive holiday season! We hope you’ve had a great 2023 – and have an even better 2024.
Clickability editorial update: October 2026
Use the retrospective to explore what interests you today
The selections may introduce a show, access initiative or topic you want to learn about. Check current availability and the particular venue’s booking arrangements. Do not assume a 2023 ticketing announcement applies to every event.
For NDIS decisions, use current reform information rather than the article’s historical expectations.
Questions readers ask
Are the selections a current list of available shows and ticketing services?
No. They are the original 2023 selections.
Did the NDIS Review automatically enact its recommendations?
No. Check current legislation and implementation information. Official guidance
Find services for the goals you want to pursue now
Describe your disability support needs through Clickability. Compare provider profiles and reviews and confirm the assistance available today.