The annual Speak Out Disability Expo, and Conference is back for 2019 with renowned rock climber, speaker and author, Paul Pritchard as their official 2019 ambassador.

Mr Pritchard was a cutting-edge rock climber and mountaineer hailing from the UK. His adventures took him from Wales to the Himalayas, the Karakoram to Patagonia, Baffin Island to the Pamirs and the European Alps.

In 1998 a world climbing tour found him in Tasmania climbing the Totem Pole. It was here that his life took a turn and changed forever.

While climbing The Totem Pole, a boulder fell 25 meters inflicting a serious head injury that doctors thought he might never walk or speak again.

The traumatic brain injury resulted in hemiplegia, which is the loss of movement on one side of the body, and aphasia, an inability to comprehend or formulate language.

"I was in the hospital for a year, in a wheelchair, unable to talk for most of that time," Mr Pritchard said.

Mr Pritchard was determined to get his life back on track and return to normality as soon as possible.

"I started walked around the rehab centre, which was about 100m, and I thought 'wow, with perseverance I might be able to get back some tiny semblance of the life I had previously."

"The lessons I learned in the mountains got me through the harrowing injury, and the painfully slow recovery process, it has certainly made me live life in the moment."

Mr Prtichard is now dedicated to making sure others living with a disability are making the most of life, no matter how different it is.

In 2016, he returned to climb the Totem Pole one-handed and one-footed up a rope to finally reach the top.

In 2017, he led a team of disabled cyclists from Australia's lowest point, Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre, to its highest, the summit of Mt Kosciuszko - a journey of more than 2000km.

"I believe I inspire people with disabilities, and I'm looking forward to taking part in the Disability Expo, so share my story and the lessons I have learned," Mr Pritchard said.

"My talk at the event will be about my journey on the Totem Pole, my year-long stay in hospital and my battle with hemiplegia.

"I think the expo is going to be amazing and quite inspiring to show people just what is out there. It is a change for those living with a disability to find out what is available to them in their local area."