Felix Kiefel-Johnson
Technical Advisor
Felix is an early career researcher whose work focuses on understanding and promoting social inclusion and disability equity across Asia and the Pacific.
Felix holds a Master’s of Social Anthropology and a Master’s of Social Work and has previous experience working in disability and education support with children in Sweden and Australia. He believes cultural humility coupled with social justice is crucial for understanding human diversity and promoting the rights of people with disability in global contexts.
Since joining the Nossal Institute, Felix has worked with global partners, including Organisations of People with Disability (OPDs), to research issues such as access to COVID-19 vaccines for people with disability in Timor-Leste and data-based challenges to disability inclusive humanitarian preparedness and response in the Philippines. He has explored social norms contributing to violence against women and girls as part of the United Nations’ Spotlight Initiative, and has researched cost challenges facing parents raising children with disability in the Philippines. Locally, Felix has studied the impacts of remote learning on families of children with disability during the COVID-19 pandemic in Victoria.
Felix is currently working on a DFAT-funded project to build the capacity of OPDs to create evidence-based advocacy products using narrative and digital storytelling techniques. Made possible through the CBM Australia-DFAT technical partnership, the project will capture stories told by people with disability living in Indonesia, Timor-Leste and Vanuatu about their experiences of stigma and the economic impacts of COVID-19. Felix is also supporting the Learning, Acting and Building for Rehabilitation in Health Systems (ReLAB-HS) program.