One man’s journey from business boss to disability advocacy

Key points

• Bill Dowson, who built small businesses in hardware, self-storage and document management, now chairs The Cram Foundation. He advocates for people with disability across the Illawarra and Shoalhaven regions.
• Dowson joined the board in 2017, arguing that running a not-for-profit requires many of the same skills as running a business. He says the organisation has shifted from a clinical approach to a human rights approach, with people with disability entitled to the same freedoms and choices as anyone else.
• Dowson has been named a finalist for a 2026 social justice award.