Belong

What is Belong?

Belong belongs to us. It is a community run by and for disabled people.

We welcome members from across Australia. Belong is also FREE!

“It has brought me so much joy. I have been searching my whole life for a tribe like this.”

– Belong member

Whatever your culture, gender identity, age or disability, you are welcome here. In Belong you are safe be yourself and be heard by others who get it.

“Speaking with people who share your lived experience lightens your mental load, and for an hour or two a week you get to be with your community. You learn how to listen meaningfully, and you are listened to and validated. It’s a safe space that is very hard to come by in our world.”

– Belong member

We are run by and for the community. Together we share our experiences, wisdom and support. We meet new friends and build connections.

We share information and opportunities with each other. Sometimes we work together to campaign about big issues.

How do we connect?

There are different ways you can get involved:

online groups with Zoom meetings
in person events
Discord server
WhatsApp chats
emails and newsletters

Ideas for different groups and activities come from Belong members. Our current groups include:

Pain and Yuck Club – for people managing chronic pain
Campaigns Group – a way to get involved in systemic advocacy
Rainbow Collective – for the LGBTQIA+ community
Art and Making – for artists, makers and creators
Group for people experiencing Connective Tissue and Related Disorders
ND Group – for everyone under the neurodivergent umbrella
NDIS Drop Ins – advocacy support and opportunities to share
Joy – a place to share all the things that bring joy and make us smile
Safety in Numbers – for getting out and about together
Belong Boardgamers – face to face hangouts in the western suburbs
Belong in Ballarat – a new meet up in Ballarat

Did you know that Belong members get free access to Disability Busters?

Connect with disability pride, history and culture - get free access to Sarah Barton's Disability Busters film library. Already a member? Contact belong@drc.org.au to get access.

Resources: Disability Busters

Disability Busters, Australia’s first video streaming service dedicated to all things disability, is proud to offer Belong members free access to their catalogue of videos.

Comedy, documentary and community television all made by and with the disability community, yours to enjoy anywhere, any time.

Connect with community, brush up on the social model of disability, learn from elders of the movement.

Head to disabilitybusters.com and contact belong@drc.org.au for the Belong log in for free access for the community.

Who is Belong for?

Wondering if your disability counts? Well it does! But here are some that we think of:

Physical disabilities
Learning disabilities
Being Deaf, deaf or hard of hearing
Speech/communication conditions 
Being blind or vision impaired
Chronic health conditions (eg. MS, arthritis, Chronic Fatigue/ME)
Prolonged physical or mental illness 
Mental health conditions
Acquired brain injury
Neurodivergence of all forms (including ADHD, autism, mental illness and more)
People experiencing chronic health and 
People who are self-identifying, undiagnosed, or in the process of diagnosis

If this sounds interesting and you would like to find out more, fill out the form below.

The first step is an introduction to how Belong works, and how we make sure our meetings are safe and accessible for everyone.

We recommend doing this on Zoom if possible, but if that is not accessible there are other ways we can share this.

After the introduction, you are welcome to participate as much or as little as you like. Maybe you want to feel connected to community but don’t have time to attend meetings. It’s fine to join Belong just to receive email updates.

We would love to welcome you here.