Belinda Wardlaw, owner and Managing Director of BE Lifestyle Retreats, is a person with a rare form of Limb Girdle Muscular Dystrophy, and is confined to an electric wheelchair.

Over 30 years, Belinda has worked tirelessly to achieve many significant outcomes for people with disability - advocating and providing support, highlighting their needs, promoting their abilities and supporting their rights for a quality, socially included life.

From the age of 16, she has actively championed numerous initiatives across many sectors, including:

  • Advocacy at all levels, for the rights of people with disability
  • Consultant to the Australian Government over 15 years on the rights of people with disability in areas such as: employment, social inclusion, residential care, and individualised funding
  • Representing people with disability on many boards and committees, across Queensland, Western Australia and Tasmania
  • Worked with government to set up reform to give people with disability better access to employment and the community
  • Working with medical professionals on ways to provide effective and appropriate services for people with disability
  • Volunteer work over 22 years, working with individuals with disabilities, families, business, service providers, medical staff and media on enhancement, advocacy and social justice for people with disability
  • Established organisations and networks for people with disability including The Muscular Dystrophy Association of Tasmania, the Muscular Dystrophy Association of Australia, "Disabled Peoples' International – Australia" and the organisation now know as ‘Queenslanders With a Disability Network'
  • Instigated and delivered forums, conferences and training on disability issues

Belinda is also a talented and successful business woman.

With her strong focus on creating choices and meeting the individual needs of people with disability and the frail aged, Belinda established BE Lifestyle Retreats in 2006, giving people a real and refreshing alternative to institutionalised care.

Belinda was:

  • The first person with a disability in Queensland's Disability Industry to become a Private Approved and Accredited Service Provider for Disability Services Qld (2007).
  • The first woman in Australia with a disability to establish Alternative Respite Care Cottages for frail aged, people with disabilities, carers and family in Tasmania and Western Australia.
  • A finalist for the Sunshine Coast Business Person of the Year Awards 2007- the first time a person with a disability had been nominated, and become a finalist.

Amongst all these remarkable achievements however, is her greatest achievement of all - being mother to her son Edward. Belinda was the first person with her rare form of Muscular Dystrophy to have a child and is a proud and devoted mother.