The Disability Resources Centre has been part of Victoria’s disability rights landscape since 1981. The organisation has delivered advocacy, community programs and systemic reform for more than forty years, yet its name and identity no longer reflected its work. Edison partnered with DRC to modernise the brand and create a more accurate expression of purpose. The result is Disability Rights and Culture, a name that honours the DRC acronym while supporting a contemporary vision. Guided by the Interwoven platform, the new identity provides clarity, cohesion and accessibility across all communications while strengthening the organisation’s ability to engage communities, partners and funders.

Founded in 1981 during the International Year of Disabled Persons, the Disability Resources Centre has been a cornerstone of Victoria’s disability rights movement. Over four decades it has championed systemic advocacy, delivered individual support and pioneered community led networks such as Belong. As the organisation’s scope expanded, its name and identity lagged behind. The term Resources Centre no longer reflected a dynamic, campaigning and radically inclusive collective. Competing acronyms and outdated branding diluted visibility. A fragmented disability sector also risked obscuring DRC’s unique cross disability leadership.

The challenge was to reposition DRC to be more than an advocacy body, stepping into its own as a contemporary and nationally relevant voice for the disability community. The existing identity was fragmented and lacked the authority needed to influence government or secure essential funding. The acronym DRC was frequently confused with the Disability Royal Commission. The word Advocacy also positioned the organisation too narrowly at a time when its work included networks, training, systemic reform and pride events. The new brand needed to resonate with both movement elders and grassroots activists while also instilling confidence in policymakers, philanthropic partners and younger disabled voices. Edison needed to capture radical inclusion and a justice centred mission while designing for trust, accessibility and long term growth.

Edison crafted a new strategic platform, Interwoven, a fabric of voices where every thread represents a person, story or need and becomes stronger together. This platform aligned DRC’s purpose, programs and identity under one clear idea and informed both naming and positioning. Naming exploration retained continuity with the DRC acronym, but redefined it as Disability Rights and Culture, a bold and unifying statement of values that better reflects the organisation’s work across advocacy, culture and community connection.

Creatively, Interwoven moved from concept to a rich visual and verbal system. A flexible brand framework was developed, using accessible colour palettes that balance strength and warmth, refined typography for clarity and readability, and an interwoven symbol language that celebrates difference while holding everything together. Lines, shapes and textures reference threads in a tapestry, reflecting many lives and experiences connected in one shared movement.
The website was reskinned with minimal layouts, high contrast navigation and intuitive page structures to support users with diverse access needs. Sub brands such as Belong and GRIT were brought into the same system, creating a cohesive family that still allows each initiative to shine. From advocacy toolkits and campaign collateral to social content and fundraising assets, the identity gives DRC a distinctive, contemporary and recognisable presence.

The new brand provides DRC with a clear and confident platform for the next phase of its work. Disability Rights and Culture now communicates its purpose with accuracy and strength, supports more accessible digital experiences, and gives the organisation a cohesive toolkit for advocacy, funding conversations and community engagement, all while honouring over forty years of movement history.