Live Independently with Disability Services in Australia

Posted by The Nextt Group on February 13th, 2020

If you are an individual living with disability, or if you are caring for someone with a disability in Australia, you might have the option to find publicly funded services that provide support for you. Contingent upon where you live, disability services may be accessible through government agencies, or through a program called the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).

The word ‘disability’ can mean many different things. To access services through the NDIS or other government-funded schemes, you will need to meet some requirements. To be eligible for NDIS services, you should:

  • have a permanent disability or developmental delay.
  • be in a specific age range when you apply.
  • live in a part of Australia where the NDIS is accessible.
  • be an Australian citizen or hold a permanent visa or a Protected Special Category visa.

Individuals who meet these requirements are called ‘participants’. Carers and family members may likewise be brought into the NDIS planning process as participants.

The NDIS aims to give each participant with theirown funding for reasonable and necessary supports. Reasonable and necessary supports are defined as those supports that will assist you:

  • pursue your goals.
  • become more independent.
  • participate in social activities and work.
  • actively play a role in the community — for instance, through having access to sports clubs and libraries.

As a participant, you will have the option to pick your service providers, and how you receive your support.

Disability services in Australia include five major categories support coordination, individual supports, attendant care, supported independent living and early intervention.

A support coordinator will support you to comprehend and implement the funded supports in your plan and link you to community, mainstream and other government services. A support coordinator will concentrate on supporting you to build skills and direct your life as well as connect you to providers.

Your support coordinator will help you to negotiate with providers about what they will provide you and how much it will cost out of your plan. Support coordinators will ensure service agreements and service bookings are completed. They will assist build your ability to exercise choice and control, to coordinate supports and access your local community. They can also help you in planning ahead to prepare for your plan review.

Support coordinators will help you to improve your plan ensuring that you are getting the most out of your funded supports. Disability services providers help clients form their individual NDIS plan, as well as facilitating their core supports and capacity building programs.

For adults, day service centres are also available that provide a structured way to work towards their individual NDIS plan. Disability services in Australia also provides high quality attendant care for clients with high-level needs such as Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) and Spinal Cord Injury (SCI).

Key to the success of all of this, and your lifestyle when living with a disability, is accessing the leading disability services in Australia.

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The Nextt Group
Joined: September 24th, 2019
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