Deb Herbert

Program Lead

Born in northern England, Deb was drawn to social justice from a young age. She initially pursued athletics at a competitive level, but an injury shifted her focus to coaching – working in both underprivileged communities and with people with disability. This experience deepened her commitment to advocacy and ultimately led her to study sociology and social justice after moving to Australia. 

When Deb was 12 weeks pregnant, she learned that her daughter, Elsden, has Down syndrome. Deb and her family are now proud members of the T21 community and see Elsden as a beautiful gift to the world. Through Elsden, Deb has learned to view life from a different perspective, and she admires Elsden’s enormous empathy for others.  

In recent years, Deb has worked in various roles as a peer worker in the disability space, facilitating discussions that have taken her around Australia and to some parts of the world. She has even had the opportunity to interview some exceptional people with disability, including Paralympian Kurt Fearnley, actor Audrey O’Connor and advocate Summer Farrelly.  

Deb is currently working as Belongside Families’ Program Lead connecting families of children with disability in Western Sydney. She is also a Learning Support Educator in a mainstream school and is passionate about supporting the inclusion of students with disabilities in their learning journey.  

Outside of work, Deb loves to return home to the UK and connect with family and friends. She enjoys watching British comedy and drama as well as English football, particularly women’s games.   

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