Charlotte Bailey

Employment ambassador, Down Syndrome Australia

2024 ACT Young Australian of the Year Nominee

Charlotte Bailey is raising the profile of inclusive employment and providing a strong voice for people living with a disability.  

She is the ACT’s Down Syndrome Australia employment ambassador, sharing her experience as a young person with a disability with potential employers. She also represented the ACT in the Down Syndrome Australia Right to Work campaign – supporting others to understand workplace expectations, identify their skills and strengths and prepare to apply for jobs. Additionally, Charlotte has spoken internationally at the United Nations World Down Syndrome Day celebrations. 

Holding down two jobs – as an office assistant with the ACT Down Syndrome Association and a hospitality worker at Eastlake Football Club – Charlotte shows that, with reasonable adjustments, people living with intellectual disability can be valued employees.  

Charlotte regularly goes above and beyond at ACT Down Syndrome Association, working independently from home during the COVID lockdowns, and co-facilitating workshops on self-advocacy.