This week we share Lorraine’s story.
Lorraine Salloum is the Founder and CEO of Ability Advocates, a hybrid social impact organisation dismantling barriers and challenging stigma around disability. With more than 25 years of executive leadership across government and social services, Lorraine has managed multi-million dollar budgets and currently serves on several boards. But her most transformative work began not in a boardroom but in a moment of heartbreak, clarity, and fierce love.
What began as a successful public service career took an unexpected turn, leading Lorraine through a deeply personal awakening. That journey, marked by vulnerability, resilience, and purpose, ultimately gave birth to an organisation built on a promise made in a hospital bed.
In this story:
🪞 Confronting biases about disability.
🏥 The hospital promise that became a mission.
🌍 Changing the world for people living with disability and their families.
— Brought to you by Women for Purpose and Kintsugi Heroes.
Q: What is a moment that changed everything for you?
A: The moment that changed everything was when I learned my eldest daughter had autism.
At the time, I was thriving in the public sector working in departments like the Attorney General’s, Treasury, and Tribunals.
I was driven by values, by justice, and by the belief that I could make a difference.
I was a manager before 30, selected for a prestigious executive masters scholarship, and ticking every box on the career ladder.
But when my daughter, Caitlin, was about 18 months old, a friend at work—after seeing her—told me she hadn’t slept all night because she was worried something was wrong. I was furious. I thought, “What are you talking about? My daughter is fine.”
A few weeks later, my mother took Caitlin to a paediatrician. I was pregnant with my second child and overwhelmed. I thought the doctor would dismiss it. But instead, they confirmed the suspicion: Caitlin had autism.
I walked into my home that day and looked at my little girl differently. All the dreams I had for her—university, marriage, independence—suddenly felt uncertain. That moment cracked something open in me.
Q:What did you discover about yourself in that moment?
A: I discovered that I had my own biases. And I was horrified.
I had always seen myself as a good person with strong values. But I realised I had never truly understood disability. I thought it was something that happened to other families, not mine. That realisation shook me to my core.
I spiralled into depression—not just because of the diagnosis, but because I had to confront the uncomfortable truth about my own assumptions. I felt ashamed. I come from a Middle Eastern Lebanese background, where disability is often seen as something to hide. I carried that stigma without even knowing it.
Q: How did you handle the years that followed?
A: I coped by throwing myself into work. I was excelling professionally, but no one knew what was happening at home.
For five years, I tried to “fix” my daughter. I treated her like a project—setting goals, timelines, and chasing every therapy imaginable. We had specialists in and out of our home constantly. But Caitlin remained non-verbal. She stayed in nappies.
I saw other families doing far less, and their children progressed. That was a painful lesson: you can do everything right and still not control the outcome.
I was angry at God. I questioned my faith. I asked, “What did I do wrong to deserve this?” I felt alone—even with my husband and mother by my side. The shame and silence were heavy.
Eventually, I realised there had to be a purpose.
I decided to become a voice for families like mine—especially in communities where disability is still taboo. I did an interview on SBS Radio. For many in my extended family, that was the first time they heard me speak openly about Caitlin.
I formed a community group for Middle Eastern families with children on the spectrum. I ran events and fundraisers. I moved into the disability sector, taking a secondment from NSW Treasury to Family and Community Services. I later worked for one of Australia’s largest disability providers, advocating for change and seeing the systemic gaps firsthand.
Q: What made you decide to start your own organisation?
A: That decision came when I nearly died from COVID at the start of the pandemic.
I was in hospital, struggling to breathe, hooked up to machines. One night, I was meditating to a song, trying to stay alive. I thought, “If I let go, Isabella (Caitlin’s sister) will be okay. She’s strong. She’s independent.”
But then I thought of Caitlin. She was 14, still in nappies, still non-verbal. I kept asking, “If I go, who will fight for her? Who will be her voice?”
That night, I made a promise: If I survive, I will do everything in my power to change the world for people with disabilities and their families.
When I returned to work, I was different. The spark was gone. I didn’t feel like I was making a difference anymore. I applied for a social impact fellowship and took six months off to reflect. That’s when I built the concept for Ability Advocates. We launched in September 2023.
Q: If readers could only remember one thing about your story, what do you hope it is?
A: I hope they remember that transformation begins with truth and that even the hardest truths can become the foundation for something extraordinary.
You don’t need to have all the answers to make a difference. You just need to start.
Start with compassion. Start with courage. Start with the belief that change is possible, because it is.
Sometimes, the most powerful movements begin not in boardrooms, but in quiet moments of reckoning and fierce love.
Q: What do you want people to do after reading your story?
A: I want people to act.
Look around your home, your workplace, your community and ask, “How can I make this space more inclusive?” Speak up. Challenge assumptions. Reach out to families who may be struggling in silence.
Support organisations like Ability Advocates, not just with donations, but with your time, your networks, and your willingness to learn.
Most of all, believe that you can be part of the change.
Whether you’re a parent, a teacher, a CEO, or a student…your voice matters. Your actions matter.
Together, we can build a world where disability is not a barrier, but a bridge to deeper understanding, innovation, and humanity.
Lorraine’s mission continues, and you can be part of it.
Connect with Lorraine on LinkedIn.
Support Lorraine’s mission: Donate to Ability Advocates
Learn more about Ability Advocates.
Read more about Lorraine’s story in the first chapter of Shaken, Stirred But Not Deterred: Inspiring Stories of Determination, Commitment and Resilience.
One more issue to go! For Giving Tuesday, we're bringing back the women you've been reading about in one final feature…