How Australian Disability Network has delivered 2,700+ successful mentoring matches
with Tia Kwan
Australian Disability Network
Mentorloop Impact Award Winner 2025
For over a decade, Australian Disability Network (AusDN) has been running one of the country’s largest and longest-running career mentoring programs for people with disability. With more than 2,700 successful mentoring matches since 2013, AusDN has helped break down barriers, challenge stereotypes, and build a more disability-confident Australia. By partnering with Mentorloop, AusDN has streamlined an increasingly complex and manual program, enabling it to scale, strengthen participant experiences, and measure outcomes more effectively than ever before.
Australian Disability Network (AusDN) is the national peak body helping Australian employers build the confidence and capability to welcome and include people with disability as employees and customers.
With a network of 450+ member organisations spanning Australia’s leading businesses and institutions, AusDN’s vision is simple yet powerful: to build a disability confident Australia.
One of the key ways AusDN brings this vision to life is through its Career Mentoring Program, which connects people with disability to mentors who can:
- Build disability confidence
- Enhance employability skills
- Navigate recruitment and workplace processes
Since 2013, the program has delivered 2,700+ successful mentoring matches across 129 organisations and sectors, creating inclusive, two-way learning experiences that benefit mentors, mentees, and workplaces alike.
“Coordinating across over 500 participants a year with spreadsheets and emails just wasn’t sustainable. We knew if we wanted to keep growing, we needed a smarter way.”
The Challenge: A Thriving Mentoring Program, but drowning in Manual Admin
Before Mentorloop, AusDN’s mentoring program was thriving but drowning in manual admin.
- Matching was done by hand using spreadsheets and emails
- Multiple systems (CRM, Outlook, Teams, Excel) created inefficiencies
- Monitoring progress and measuring impact was difficult
- Admin workload capped the number of participants the program could support
“I remember one night spending hours comparing hundreds of mentor applications, trying to find a good match. It was exhausting.”
The demand for mentoring was certainly there — but AusDN needed a smarter, scalable solution.
Switching to Mentorloop
AusDN adopted Mentorloop to streamline and scale its Career Mentoring Program.
With Mentorloop, AusDN could:
- Automate sign-ups, onboarding, and matching
- Track progress and monitor participant engagement in real time
- Capture feedback via sentiment surveys and post-meeting check-ins
- Reduce admin and focus on what matters most — the relationships
This shift not only saved time, but also improved the overall participant experience.
Measurable Results That Matter Most
Program Growth 📈
- Nearly 300 mentoring pairs have been supported annually since 2020
- On track to hit the 3,000 pair milestone by 2026
Improved Mentor Experience 💬
- Confidence in disability inclusion jumped from 4.64 → 4.82
- 96% of mentors said the program met expectations
- Mentorloop experience rated 4.07/5
Improved Mentee Experience 🙌
- Application process rated 4.54/5
- Overall platform experience rated 4.26/5
- Stronger goal-setting and career clarity
Human Stories 💡
- A mentee overcame “decision paralysis,” learning to set achievable goals and land job interviews with confidence
- Mentors consistently report staying in touch with mentees after the formal program ends — showing lasting impact
- Recognition through the Mentor and Mentee of the Year Awards celebrated personal growth and reinforced the cultural value of mentoring
“Mentoring has become more than a program — it’s part of our culture and our commitment to inclusion. The ripple effect is enormous.”
What’s Next for the AusDN Career Mentoring Program 🚀
- Extending reach into the Northern Territory and Tasmania within 3–5 years
- Growing participation among senior leaders to embed inclusive leadership practices
- Reaching the 3,000 pair milestone by 2026
Inclusive Mentorship at Scale
Australian Disability Network’s Career Mentoring Program proves that mentoring can be a catalyst for both cultural and systemic change. With Mentorloop, AusDN has scaled its program to support hundreds of mentees and mentors each year, streamlined complex administration, and strengthened outcomes for people with disability and the organisations that employ them.
By putting people and inclusion at the heart of every match, AusDN is breaking down workplace barriers and building a more disability confident Australia — one mentoring relationship at a time.
The right connection can change a life, are you ready to build a culture of mentoring in your organization?
Tia Kwan
Program Lead
Australian Disability Network's Career Mentoring Program
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"Mentorloop hasn’t just made our program easier to run — it’s made the whole experience more engaging, inclusive, and impactful for mentors and mentees alike."
– Tia Kwan, Program Lead, Australian Disability Network
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