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Marriage can be tough at the best of times. But when one partner has a disability and the other is their full-time carer, the pressure can sometimes be too much. Gill Godfrey partly credits the survival of her 42-year marriage to the support she receives from the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). ‘I think it helped us stay together because he had a lot of work to do with me, and he worried a lot,’ Gill says. NDIS-funded support workers help Gill 5 days a week, with 2 days reserved for family only. ‘The first time I went out with...

For Kez and Andrew, Valentine’s Day is special. It’s a day to reflect on their relationship and the love and admiration they have for each other. The 2 Ballarat NDIS participants, who both have an intellectual disability, say they always celebrate Valentine’s Day, and this year is no different. “We’re planning on a nice dinner and going to the movies,” Kez said. “It’s going to be fun,” Andrew added. Ironically, when mum Trish took 8-week-old Kez, now 32, to Playhouse in Ballarat (an early intervention support service), mum Cathy was there with 3-year-old Andrew, now 35. Trish said as time...

After 7 years North Geelong resident Pete Frith’s dream has come true – his wife Kelly has left aged care to live in her own Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) built unit with 24/7 care, all thanks to her NDIS funding. “The change in Kell has been remarkable,” Pete said. “She’s much happier, we can see she’s more alert with her facial expressions, more vocal and when we play music she taps away on my hand. "To be able to visit Kell when we like is a dream come true.” Kelly, 49, had a series of mini strokes and then a...

Greenvale’s Tobias Ward-Boas said he couldn’t wipe the smile off his face when he received a call to say he’d landed a job with the Victorian Advocacy League for Individuals with Disability (VALID).

When opportunity came knocking, NDIS participant Ursh Hyslop was ready to answer the call. Supported by the NDIS, Ursh, 50, has transitioned from volunteer to an online marketing and sales guru at Momentum Collective Recycler’s Op Shop on the Tweed Coast of New South Wales. Ursh, who lives with schizophrenia and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), is letting her dedication and personality shine. 'I started 2-and-a-half years ago as a volunteer, and after I applied for the NDIS, it took about 6 months to get paid work,' Ursh said. 'Through the NDIS, I’ve been given support, and being able to...

For Sydney teenager Aspen Luke, 2 paths connecting to share a message of solidarity and pride with the world is a march worth making. Aspen - who identifies as queer, is autistic and has 22.q13.32 duplication - will proudly be on Autism Spectrum Australia’s (Aspect) float at Sydney’s WorldPride and Mardi Gras parade. As a neurodiversity, disability, and LGTBQIA+ advocate, Aspen said helping to shine a spotlight on disability and pride would be an opportunity not to be missed. “Being autistic and queer, there’s a lot of intersections between our communities. A lot of autistic people identify as queer or...