At WaterAble’s annual general meeting, in September, Mr Hughan, from Rochester, was presented with a life membership to the network.
WaterAble partners with corporations from across the industry to support people with disability and their allies.
It gives network partners insight into how they can make their workplaces more accessible and inclusive for people with disability and provides a forum for partners to discuss inclusion ideas together.
Mr Hughan has been part of the network since its formation in 2020, beginning as WaterAble’s deputy chair, before moving to the position of chair in 2021.
Current WaterAble chair Anita McKenzie said she was delighted to award Mr Hughan with the membership.
“It’s been inspiring to see the improvements many of our partners have made to disability inclusivity in their workplace and the water industry more broadly,” she said.
“Donald has been instrumental in driving this change.
“His contributions to WaterAble in the various roles he has held have been invaluable, and a life membership is a fitting recognition of his work.”
Mr Hughan said his time with WaterAble had been highly rewarding.
“It’s been an amazing experience working with the other committee members to improve inclusivity in the water industry,” he said.
“One of the highlights has been seeing the network expand beyond Victoria and moving to a national framework, where we now have partners from across Australia.
“I’m very grateful for the dedication and support of my fellow WaterAble committee members. I also appreciate the support of G-MW, who have been a partner of WaterAble from the start and have empowered me to be involved in the network.”
