Jaz Bidgood lives in Brisbane, Queensland and was diagnosed with Autism in their late-twenties. As an Autistic member of the LGBTQIA+ community, Jaz engages in interpersonal advocacy for disabled, queer, neurodivergent, and otherwise marginalised people within their local community. While serving on the ASAN AUNZ Board, Jaz is excited to have the opportunity to participate in systemic advocacy with the Autistic community, for the Autistic community.

Jaz currently works an English as a second language (ESL) teacher at TAFE Queensland, and also teaches children’s Learn to Swim classes (babies to 10-year-olds). In their role as an ESL teacher, Jaz works with refugees and recently-settled migrants in the Australian Migrant English Program (AMEP). Jaz also teaches jobseekers and adults with low literacy skills in the Skills for Education and Employment (SEE) program. In their role as a Learn to Swim teacher, Jaz has had the opportunity to work with neurodivergent and disabled students, including teaching students in Auslan. These roles allowed Jaz to have the opportunity to experience how neurodivergence intersects with other marginalised identities, which has given Jaz a deeper appreciation for how intersectionality is experienced by neurodivergent people.