The WaterAble Leadership Program is helping to redefine what inclusion looks like in the Australian water community.
Designed to empower people with disability through leadership development, the program offers practical tools and peer support to help participants navigate their careers with confidence.
For Seqwater Principal Quality Officer Kimberlee Pithers, the experience of participating in the WaterAble Leadership Program reinforced a lifelong lesson: leadership isn’t about fitting in – it’s about making space for diversity.
“I joined Seqwater in 2019, so this will be my sixth year. It wasn’t planned – I fell into the water sector. I had just taken a paid redundancy and was taking time off," she said.
"In previous roles, I struggled to find an organisation whose vision I could truly align with. But the water sector felt different.
“Seqwater provides water for life to 3.8 million people in South East Queensland. That’s something I can get behind. On tough days, I remind myself that I’m part of an organisation that delivers a basic necessity – clean, safe and sustainable drinking water. That perspective keeps me grounded."
Further to finding an organisation that aligns with her values, Pithers said working for Seqwater has also been positive due to the support she has received in light of the disabilities she lives and works with daily.
"My experience at Seqwater has been positive, but I recognise that I’m in a unique position,” she said.
“In 2021, I had a car accident that left me with both physical and psychological injuries, including PTSD. My Executive General Manager for People, Culture and Safety Melissa Williams also had a car accident and went through similar challenges.
“This meant I had leadership support from someone who understood exactly what I was going through. That’s rare."
Reflecting on her workplace experience, Pithers said it's easy to have diversity in the workplace, what’s tricky is ensuring people feel safe and welcome.
“Different jobs attract different people. But inclusivity? That’s about making sure people feel truly welcomed and valued for who they are,” she said.
"Inclusivity, for me, is about removing barriers so people can be their authentic selves. A colleague from WaterAble once said: ‘People don’t have disabilities; the environment creates disabilities’.
“And I couldn’t agree more. Often, the biggest barriers aren’t the people – it’s the environment, systems and structures in place."
Aside from the physical and psychological injuries Pithers manages ongoing, she is also neurodivergent, adding an extra layer of complexity to her unique perspective and needs.
"One of the struggles I found with ADHD in the workplace is that people often tell me to slow down, but I think: 'why don’t you speed up?',” she said.
“If I told someone they needed to think faster, that would be considered offensive. But telling me to slow down is somehow acceptable?
"With PTSD, people are generally empathetic because they can understand trauma. But with neurodivergence, the reaction is different because there’s no single event people can point to. They don’t always understand why someone needs clear instructions or a quiet space."
While ADHD often introduces requirements for adjustments in the workplace, Pithers said the injuries sustained from the accident in 2021 completely transformed the way she lives and works.
"I feel like the term 'life-changing' doesn’t do justice to how much my accident impacts every aspect of my life. It changed how I parent, how I function as a wife, as a friend. It derailed everything,” she said.
"I knew very early on that I didn’t want to be a victim. I needed to create a village.
“Before my accident, I was not a trusting person – I was at work to do my job, not to make friends. But after the accident, I had to change my mindset. I had to let people in, create a village of support, use my words and create understanding."
Pithers said it’s important for workplaces to take responsibility for creating awareness about disability, particularly invisible disabilities, which are often less understood.
"If someone has a visible disability, like needing a wheelchair, the barriers are more obvious. But if someone has PTSD or ADHD, there’s often no awareness of how that plays out in a workplace setting,” she said.
"I chose to be very open about my experience, but not everyone feels comfortable doing that. Businesses need to have a process in place to support employees with invisible disabilities without placing all the burden on the individual to explain their needs.
“That’s what true inclusion looks like – meeting people where they are and adapting.
Pithers said resilience doesn’t develop in calm waters: "struggles and difficulties are what create opportunities for growth and change”.
"At the end of the day, people with disabilities are already resilient because they face challenges every day. What we’re asking from workplaces is that they step up and show resilience, too – by listening, adapting and doing some of the pivoting themselves."
Pithers came into contact with the WaterAble Leadership Program through Seqwater, and she’s glad she did.
"At first, I wasn't sure what I would get out of it. But I learned that disabilities are incredibly varied. Everyone’s needs are different and many people don’t feel comfortable advocating for themselves,” she said.
“That’s where I realised my strength – I can advocate for others when they can’t.
"Some participants in the program had never told anyone about their struggles. They were worried about being judged. But for me? Why be everyone’s cup of tea when you can be a gin and soda."
Are you interested in learning more about how to get involved in the WaterAble Leadership Program in 2025? Sign up as a WaterAble member here to receive updates.