Tracey’s mission to improve career outcomes for Aussies

Tracey Corbin-Matchett OAM is the CEO of Bus Stop Films and organiser of the Inaugural Driving Change Summit – a true powerhouse in the disability space.
Her journey, like many who work to help disabled Australians, began as a concerned parent wondering if her daughter would be offered the same opportunities as others.
“My daughter is deaf and I’m hard of hearing,” Corbin-Matchett tells 9honey.
It was one of her colleagues who first mentioned Bus Stop Films.
READ MORE: ‘Terrifying’ realisation at Royal Show changed Soozie’s life forever
“Then I got to meet Genevieve [Clay-Smith, founder of Bus Stop Films] and work with them on a project” she says.
“I just was blown away that this actually existed. It was social justice outcomes, it was human rights outcomes through film.”
Corbin-Matchett has been working with the company ever since, and seven years ago was named CEO.
READ MORE: ‘We love you Pops’: Tito Jackson’s sons share heartbreaking tribute
“I love it. It’s a big job, it’s a seven-day-a-week business,” she says.
“My son said, ‘Mum, you’re like a school principal.’ And I said I am, because the care and protection of our participants – we have over 200 now – is really important to me.”
Corbin-Matchett’s dedication to her students and the cause is impressive, and the achievements of Bus Stop Films participants is the result of that.
Most recently, a cohort worked on the Paralympics with Nine.
“Our Employment Participant cohort is anyone with disabilities. We have Jack, who’s an emerging deaf camera operator, there’s wheelchair users,” Corbin-Matchett explains.
“We’re one of a unique services that is an employment service for people with disability looking for work in the screen industry.”
Here lies the significance of her work. Disabled Australians aren’t happy with just any employment – they want, like any Australians, to be given opportunities in fields of their choice. And not entry-level positions, but skilled positions.
Bus Stop Films also runs an accessible film studies program open to participants of all ages.
“Our oldest participant is in her 50s, who live with a mild to moderate intellectual disability or autism,” Corbin-Matchett says.
For a daily dose of 9honey, subscribe to our newsletter here.
Others have Down syndrome, global development delays and a variety of other intellectual disabilities.
Bus Stop Film showcases a series of short films made by participants each year, including actor Gerard O’Dwyer.
“I think he’s in Europe somewhere at the moment, presenting his film, which is brilliant. But because our program is a rolling program, some of our participants have been with us the whole 16 years,” Corbin-Matchett explains.
“It’s about that sense of community and connection and each year they’re making a new film, so they’re learning new skills and flexing their creative muscles, which I really love.”
Parents of disabled Australians lament the lack of opportunities for their children beyond their school years, and it is often left for them to find their own solutions.
While Bus Stop Films does incredible work within the organisation, the next step for Corbin-Matchett is to spread the word about the extraordinary talent of disabled individuals.
READ MORE: The $5 Kmart buy that has completely transformed one woman’s wardrobe
In November, the company will host their inaugural Driving Change Summit to spread the word by bringing together film, TV, advertisers and companies like Nine.
“There’s a lot of work in advertising,” Corbin-Matchett says.
“If we could bring the sector together, advocates, people with lived experience, the policy-makers, broadcasters, and really explore disability employment on both sides of the camera, what’s working, what’s a bit of a challenge … we could come out with something profound.”
It was important to her to ensure this summit was reflective of the significance of its cause.
“Often disability events are in a scout hall with a packet of biscuits and catered plain coffee,” she says.
“I wanted to make sure that this event was commensurate with other industry events.”
It’s certainly shaping up to be just that.
“But at the same time make it very economical. Our ticket price, we’ve kept it down. And we’ve make sure it’s accessible. Every event is Auslan interpreted, there’s live captioning …
“So it’s really important to me, the advocacy side of things, to get government to listen. It’s been a big week for the disability community with the changes around the NDIS and we’re living in an environment of post-Disability Royal Commission. What does that mean?
“And our work is really about supporting people with disability to work in this industry but also that their stories get heard and that working in film and TV and production can be seen as a really valid career option for people with disability rather than just placing them into a job in an industry that ticks the box for an employment provider.”
Find out more about the Driving Change Summit here.
FOLLOW US ON WHATSAPP HERE: Stay across all the latest in celebrity, lifestyle and opinion via our WhatsApp channel. No comments, no algorithm and nobody can see your private details.