About Us

 Dr Kathy Cologon

Our team is led by Dr Kathy Cologon (she/her), who is our Principal Consultant and Founder of Toward Equity, Diversity and Inclusion.

 Kathy loves to work with people who share her passion for inclusion.  Kathy is warm, collaborative and has a deep understanding of equity, diversity and inclusion.

Kathy is nationally and internationally renowned for her work in Inclusive Education and Disability Studies. Kathy has extensive experience in developing and facilitating Professional Learning within early childhood settings, schools, government departments, and small and large organisations. Kathy has published more than 60 papers, book chapters, and books. Her book Inclusive Education in the Early Years: Right from the Start, which is now in its second edition (Cologon & Mevawalla, 2023), was commissioned by Oxford University Press. This book has become a core component of education for inclusion across Australia and internationally. Her latest book, Inclusive Education through the Creative Arts, blends theory, research, and practical insights (Niland, Huhtinen-Hildén and Cologon, 2024)

Kathy worked as a researcher and university teacher educator at Macquarie University for 15 years. Prior to this Kathy worked across various education settings for a decade. Kathy collaborates with families, teachers, allied professionals, policy makers, academics, and a range of other stakeholders to support inclusion within education and beyond.  

The crux of what drives Kathy's research is a belief in the value of human beings in all our wonderful diversities and recognition that this has particular implications for the role of education and accessibility in our communities. Through her work, Kathy seeks to contribute to increased knowledge and understanding regarding how to provide effective opportunities to enable all people to flourish as valued community members. This requires challenging normative and deficit assumptions and engaging with practical issues relating to children's rights and social inclusion.    

With extensive experience in the field prior to commencing her work in academia, followed by 14 years of educating teachers for inclusion, Kathy has a depth and breadth of understanding of the many facets of inclusive education. This continues to develop through her ongoing research and engagement with children, families, teachers and allied professionals. 

Dr Zinnia Mevawalla  

Dr Zinnia Mevawalla (she/her) is a Lecturer in Early Childhood Education at the University of Strathclyde. 

Zinnia has had the privilege of learning, teaching and researching, with children, families, early years professionals, researchers and diverse communities to understand how initiatives in the early years can uphold children’s rights, foster critical consciousness and equity education, and support social inclusion for all. 

Zinnia is particularly interested in the role of critical consciousness in actualising anti-bias goals (identity, diversity, justice and activism) and social justice education in the early years.

Tim Cologon  

Tim Cologon is a researcher at Toward Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, alongside his other roles in administration and as a dancer extraordinaire! Tim is deeply committed to the importance of gathering and genuinely listening to children's perspectives. Tim views children as important changemakers in the world. 

Through his research, Tim seeks to create opportunities for children to impact on positive change in the world around them. As a man with Down syndrome Tim is particularly passionate about making sure that children who experience disability are not left out of any aspect of life – from early childhood onwards. Tim loves dance and believes in the arts as a powerful way to listen more deeply to children.

 Dr Olivia Karaolis

Dr. Olivia Karaolis, MA, PhD is a Lecturer Special and Inclusive Education at The University of Sydney, School of Education and Social Work. She was Adjunct Professor of Early Childhood Education at Santa Monica College and part of the Early Start Interdisciplinary Assessment team for the California Department of Disability and Social Servies. Olivia holds a master's degree in early childhood intervention, a degree in acting, a diploma in Puppet Therapy and 20 years of experience teaching drama to children and young people with disabilities. In 2008, she started and managed the UCPlay Project with United Cerebral Palsy in Los Angeles, Ventura, and Santa Barbara Counties, bringing creative arts classes to hundreds of students with disabilities in underserved urban schools and preschools in Los Angeles. Her PhD thesis explored drama as a pedagogy for inclusion and won the Teachers Guild Award for Research. Her current research is focused on joyful pedagogy in early childhood education and the creative arts as an inclusive practice.

Elizabeth Hitches

In both research and higher education teaching, Elizabeth strives to foster inclusive and equitable learning environments where everyone can reach their full academic and personal potential. Elizabeth is a sessional academic across a number of universities, teaching undergraduate and Master level higher education students in the areas of inclusive education, diversity, equity, and accessibility. She is also an organiser and regular facilitator of the Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Community of Practice at Griffith University, collaborating with higher education colleagues to increase understanding and practice of accessibility and inclusion. Elizabeth is a PhD candidate at the Institute for Social Science Research, University of Queensland, Australia, and a research officer and research assistant in both qualitative and quantitative research across various universities. Her research interests lie in inclusive education at a national and international level, as well as equity, achievement, and wellbeing for students with disability, chronic health conditions and/or accessibility requirements.