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In 1974 Kate Watkins got her first Seeing Eye dog, a moment she’ll never forget. She finished high school on the Friday and the following Monday, she was at Lady Nelson Seeing Eye Dogs being matched with Troika, a 2-year-old golden labrador. Since then Kate, who is legally blind, has had a further 7 Seeing Eye dogs – Abbey, Letice, Quarry, Qiana, Selwood, Clayton and now Kramer, her first fully funded Seeing Eye dog through the NDIS. ‘I’ve had a really good experience with the NDIS,’ Kate said. ‘The funding assists to maintain Kramer’s high level working standards and his...

Belinda (Bel) Cini is in her second season, employed as a ‘water girl’ for the Geelong Football Club’s women’s team and the one-eyed Cats supporter can’t believe she scored her ‘dream job’. The 39-year-old NDIS participant from Torquay who has an intellectual disability said she couldn’t be happier adding it was her long-time friend Sam Moorfoot, the Geelong men’s team’s water boy who inspired her to give it a go. ‘I thought if Sam could do it for the boys, I could do it for the girls,’ Bel said proudly. Using her NDIS funding Bel engaged local disability provider Leisure...

Grace is an accomplished singer and performer. Her achievements include co-starring in a 2022 West Australian Opera production. Grace, 38, has been blind since birth and was one of the first people in Perth supported through the NDIS. She has Leber’s congenital amaurosis, an inherited condition which affected the development of her eyes. She has also worked for the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) for 9 years, and brings lived experience to her current technical support role. ‘I help people at work with disabilities with their assistive technologies (AT). So if they are using a screen reader or other AT...

Thursday Island Torres Strait Islander Charlie Kris lights up when he talks about all the equipment he has to improve his home, school and community access. Living remotely with most buildings built high up on stilts, the 14-year-old wheelchair user, who has spina bifida, found it hard to get into parts of his home, school and community. Using his NDIS funding, Charlie engaged local disability provider, My Pathway. Now he has all the equipment and support he needs to access his home, school and community and the bubbly teenager couldn’t be happier. ‘One of the best things I have is...

Andrew Bryson, from Penrith, brings joy to those around him. In turn, they support him to live a good life, surrounded by love and free from judgement. ‘I’m a proud gay man,’ Andrew says. ‘I have an intellectual disability.’ Andrew’s message on IDAHOBIT Day is one of inclusion, diversity, and beautiful colour. ‘All the people are different but we fit together, like a rainbow,’ Andrew says. ‘I like this day, it is a good one. If some people are not nice about I am gay, that is not right.’ ‘When (we) talk about it all together in the world, that...

Travis Bellamy is an articulate and passionate Sydney man in his early 30s, living his best life and representing his community. Earlier this year Travis was a customer ambassador for Northcott, his service provider, when they participated in the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras. Now, after the Mardi Gras, he’s even busier. ‘After being ambassador, I've been writing my second novel,’ Travis says. ‘And I'm really hoping to help Northcott with the 2025 Mardi Gras.’ Travis is a proud gay man living with cerebral palsy. He communicates by using a communication device, funded through his NDIS plan. ‘My disability...