Dr Fiona Rillotta
Senior Lecturer in Disability and Community Inclusions
College of Nursing and Health Sciences
Dr Fiona Rillotta is a Senior Lecturer in Disability and Community Inclusion in the College of Nursing and Health Sciences. She has a PhD in Psychology, and Bachelor of Social Science (Hons). She has coordinated, lectured and tutored in many undergraduate & postrgraduate topics in disability programs, and also has experience as Course Coordinator, Honours Coordinator & First Year Coordinator.
In Dec 2022 Fiona was invited to give evidence to Disability Royal Commission - vision for inclusive Australia.
Fiona has been awarded: College of Nursing and Health Sciences Vice President & Executive Dean's Research Award for Mid Career Researcher (2019), Impact Seed Funding for Early Career Researchers (2019), Vice-Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching (2017), and Australasian Research Prize (2007) -innovative contribution resulting in positive life changes for people with intellectual disability.
Fiona’s research includes: inclusive university for people with intellectual disability; enhancing social networks of adults with intellectual disability; family quality of life; and attitudes towards intellectual disability. Fiona has published several journal articles and three book chapters. She is Primary Supervisor to two PhD students; has attended/ presented at several national/ international conferences; and is peer reviewer for international journals.
She has been working with people with disabilities of various settings since 2001, including: supporting inclusion of adults with intellectual disability at university and in the community; self advocacy training/ mentoring for adults with intellectual disability; program evaluation; disability awareness; school classroom support for students with disability; and training/ supervising Special Olympics leaders.
Fiona is well connected internationally and she is an executive committee member of the International Association for the Scientific Study of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IASSIDD) - Inclusive Education Special Interest Research Group and Quality of Life Special Interest Research Group.
PhD Psychology,The University of Adelaide, 2011
Bachelor of Arts (Honours), The University of Adelaide, 2004
Bachelor of Social Science, The University of Adelaide, 2003
2021-2024 Australian Research Council, Linkage Project (LP200200326). Choosing the way forward: addressing post-parental housing transition needs of adults with intellectual disability and their older family carers. Walker, R., Bigby, C., Wiesel, I., Rillotta, F. & Hutchinson, C.
2021-2022 National Disability Research Partnership (NDRP) Grant. Designing a Continuum of Best Practices for the Inclusion of Students with Intellectual Disabilities in Higher Education.Wedgewood, N., O’Donovan, M., Rillotta, F.
2020-2023 South Australian Council on Intellectual Disability Evaluation. Strengthening involvement of people with intellectual disability. Rillotta, F., Robinson, S., & Idle, J.
2019 Vice President & Executive Dean's Research Award for Mid Career Researcher, College of Nursing and Health Sciences
2019 Impact Seed Funding for Early Career Researchers - "Further Up the Hill" – 20 years of inclusion of people with intellectual disability at university: Where to Next?
2017 Vice-Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Teaching - The Up the Hill Project -An innovative, structured and sustained Work-Integrated Learning program in Disability and Community Inclusion that responds to student, community and industry needs.
2013 Faculty of Health Sciences Establishment Grant $10,000 - The Up the Hill Project - Post-Secondary Education for people with an intellectual disability at Flinders University: Areview of participant and mentor characteristics and outcomes.
2007 Australasian Research Prize - Australasian Society for the Study of Intellectual Disability (ASSID). Effects of an awareness program on attitudes of students without an intellectual disability towards persons with an intellectual disability. Paper judged to be the most innovative contribution resulting in positive life changes for people with an intellectual disability.
Chief Investigator, Researcher, Topic Coordinator, Lecturer, Tutor, Research Student Supervisor
- Advocacy
- Intellectual disability
- Learning and behaviour
- Diversity
- Families with a member with a disability
- Persectives of disability
- Up the Hill Project - Program Advisor
- ASID - State Committee
- IASSIDD Quality of Life Special Interest Research Group - Executive Committee Member/ Secretary
- IASSIDD Inclusive Education Special Interest Research Group - Member at Large
- Communication Partner - Uniting Communities - Past Volunteer
- frienDS Incorporated (recreation for adults with Down Syndrome and related disabilities) - Past Management Committee Member
- Our Voice South Australia (self advocacy for people with intellectual disability) - Past Director
- Special Olympics South Australia - Past Volunteer, Athlete Leadership Program, Mentor
Sturt Rd, Bedford Park
South Australia 5042
South Australia | Northern Territory
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