Lesley Maria Hall (27 November 1954 – 19 October 2013) was a disability advocate, arts administrator, writer and activist.[1] She was one of the founders of the Women with Disabilities Feminist Collective (WDFC), now known as Women with Disabilities Australia (WWDA),[2] and Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Federation of Disability Organisations (AFDO).[3] She was also co-founder of the Disability Resource Centre, and was credited with getting her brother Frank Hall-Bentick involved in the organisation, as well as disability advocacy.
In 1981 Hall staged a protest at the Miss Australia Quest, a beauty pageant held as a fundraiser for the organisation then known as the Spastic Society. In relation to the contests she stated:[4]
Hall was a member of the Melbourne Workers Theatre,[5] and worked as an arts officer for the Darebin City Council.
Hall was known for her disability advocacy, including contributing to the formation of the National Disability Insurance Scheme.[5]
Hall was inducted onto the Victorian Honour Roll of Women in 2014.[6] She received a posthumous Order of Australia medal in 2015.[7] The Lesley Hall Scholarship is an annual award in Hall's honour by Arts Access Victoria.[8]