The Challenge
RippleAbility set out to spotlight a largely overlooked issue: the systemic barriers faced by families of children with complex disabilities. Despite the profound impact of complex disabilities including high rates of workforce exit and psychological distress among parents, public understanding of the issue remained low.
Existing childcare and subsidy systems often exclude children with complex needs, leaving families with limited, costly and unsustainable care options.
To better support children with complex disabilities and provide meaningful respite for their families, RippleAbility launched a pilot program in Perth, with a vision for national expansion.
This created a dual challenge: build widespread awareness of the issue while positioning the pilot as a credible, scalable solution, capable of driving government attention and long-term reform.
The Strategy
We designed a three-phase media strategy to build momentum and sustain national attention on RippleAbility’s pilot program.
The first phase established the issue at a national level, highlighting the systemic challenges faced by families of children with complex disabilities, including difficulty accessing appropriately trained childcare and the significant financial strain. This approach set the foundational messaging before introducing RippleAbility’s respite program as a tangible, solutions-led response.
The strategy used lived experience as a powerful entry point at its core. We centred the strategy on lived experience to humanise the data. By pairing real family stories with national policy gaps, we shifted the narrative from individual struggle to a national systemic challenge.
The second phase centred on an in-depth exclusive with the ABC, offering a behind-the-scenes look at the program in action. This provided an opportunity to showcase the model firsthand and ensure a deeper, more accurate understanding of its impact and delivery.
The third phase focused on a national broadcast push, using early outcomes from the pilot to reinforce its effectiveness and advocate for government support to enable a national rollout.
The Execution
The campaign delivered a coordinated national media rollout, leveraging spokesperson interviews, case studies and expert commentary across broadcast, print and online channels.
Key moments were strategically timed to align with the news cycle and maximise pickup, while AAP distribution amplified consistent messaging across metropolitan and regional markets.
We prioritised broadcast media to drive reach and emotional impact, then supported this with targeted syndication and opinion pieces to build credibility and engage policy audiences.
Long-lead placements further deepened engagement, helping to position RippleAbility as a leading voice within the national disability and policy conversation.
The Outcome
The campaign successfully reframed the issue as a national policy challenge, elevating lived experience while positioning RippleAbility as a credible, solutions-focused leader in the conversation.
Despite the pilot being based in Western Australia, we achieved coverage across every state, significantly expanding awareness of RippleAbility’s Respite Program.
Key campaign highlights included 22 interviews, 473 radio placements, 85 online articles and national ABC TV coverage.
Importantly, the campaign also helped drive tangible advocacy outcomes, with RippleAbility progressing discussions with key stakeholders to address the policy gap their respite program is designed to fill.