Gunela Astbrink has worked in disability and technology policy and research for 25 years both in Australia and internationally.

She led projects at the Telematics and Disability Centre of Telia (Swedish Telecom) and the European Union-funded project, COST 219 (Telecommunications: Access for Disabled and Elderly People) in the 1990's. Gunela was part of the Smart Internet Technology Cooperative Research Centre's user-centred design group and led a project on multi-modal mobile devices.

For over 10 years, Gunela was National Coordinator of TEDICORE (Telecommunications and Disability Consumer Representation) ensuring that people with disability participated in policy and standards development to improve telecommunications accessibility.

Gunela is participating in the EU-funded project CARDIAC to develop a research roadmap for future funding of accessible ICT and assistive technology.

Gunela Astbrink is Director on the Board of the Internet Society of Australia and a member of the Advisory Board of the International Center for Disability Resources on the Internet as well as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. She holds an adjunct senior research position in the Institute for Integrated and Intelligent Systems at Griffith University.