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Frank Hall-Bentick Award

Photograph of Frank Bentick, an older white man with a short grey buzz-cut wearing wire-rimmed glasses and a red polo shirt under a dark jacket. The left-side of his mouth is quirked up in a smile.
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Disability Pride and Culture
Frank Hall-Bentick Award

About the award

To honour Frank Hall-Bentick’s lifelong work advocating for the rights of people with disability, Disability Rights and Culture is proud to present the annual Frank Hall-Bentick Achievement Award.

Frank helped set up DRC in 1981 and led the organisation for many years, staying involved until he passed away.  His leadership and vision played a big role in improving the lives of people with disabilities, including his contribution to the drafting of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of People with Disabilities (UNCRPD) in 2006.

This award will be given every year to someone in our community who has made a real difference in advancing disability rights.

Left: Janet Curtain. Right: Annette Rooke (sister of Frank Hall-Bentick).

Janet Curtain was the first ever winner of the Frank Hall-Bentick Achievement Award in November 2024.

Janet is a founding member of Power Culture and Equality (PCE). PCE is a self-advocacy group for people from non-English speaking backgrounds.

Janet is currently the PCE group worker and VSAN co-ordinator (Victorian Self Advocacy Network).