Disability, the NDIS and Support for people

Last week, we promised to describe plan management in more detail. Rather than approach it in the way many people do, we decided to look at it from the inside out. By recognising it from a plan manager's perspective, we can see things that we wouldn't usually observe in the system.

One of the most important things that a plan manager should offer is providing advice, keeping things in good order but most importantly, not taking over the decisions of the participant. Plan manager should be about helping people to get ahead, rather than holding them back.

We've added a fresh new sound to our podcasts, hope you like it. It's a teeny-weeny bit longer than usual, but I think you'll agree that it's worthwhile.

There is a lot published about plan management. But judging by the questions we get asked, we suspect that all that material isn't actually explaining what plan management is about and what it means for you, and whether you should even care about it at all. This is a bite-sized chunk of information to describe what plan management is and how you should approach it.

I attended the World Education Summit a few weeks ago. World Schooling is a method of education that many people think is about giving up on the traditional system and travelling forever, but with children.

Perhaps some people appear to be travelling perpetually, but one essence of world schooling is about trying to improve outcomes so that children and families bond better, learn better and ultimately perform better. By no means are we experts on these ideas, but there is a wealth of information written about it.

What interested me the most was the bravery and intuition of a few parents who started their journey inspired to travel with their children with disabilities. They had found that being in the system was not doing any good. Schools did not understand, and the children appeared to be going backwards. I heard of one school who kept a boy inside during breaktimes, in a room by himself. Why? Because he would get bullied by some other kids. So, rather than deal with the problem they dealt with the symptom. To me, it seemed like they were punishing the child.

So these parents decided to turn their back on the system and the traditional network of supports and take things back into their own hands. They described how difficult it was to take responsibility like that, but the rewards were great. One boy, he had autism, just needed a chance to shine and recognise his value as a person. His mum Lisa didn't think that was happening. But since they have been travelling (for just over a month now), he has changed completely.

So this podcast is dedicated to those like us, who think both inside and outside the box to find solutions that recognise individual situations and inspire good things to happen. Enjoy the podcast.

We interview Billy, a street artist at creativity unleashed. What does he find special about art? What makes him tick? And how can it help us in our every day lives?

 'It takes only seven seconds for us to judge another person when we first meet them,' says Linda Blair, clinical psychologist and author of Straight Talking. 'It's not a conscious process, so we don't even realise we're doing it - but it goes back to our primitive roots when we couldn't afford to make wrong decisions.'

We love meeting people at expos. They are a chance to talk to people who have overcome the odds to do what they love. Their inspiration gives us ideas about how to help people achieve their goals and live an ordinary or even extraordinary life. This episode is about some of those people that we met at the Nepean Disability Expo.

Expos are a great opportunity to meet people and stay ‘real’ through meeting participants, providers, parents and other carers.

Although hard work, with lots of standing around (Penrith was hot on that day!) it is was so rewarding. We love hearing the stories that people tell us about their journey, ideas they have and their successes.

Looking at how society relates to people with disabilities. We need to understand people as a whole, rather than label them or summarise them with one of the typical pictures you see on a website. There’s a sad moment from our time on the Gold Coast expo, followed by the idea that disability is all about the individual rather than a competition.

For our first episode, we introduce ourselves and what we will be exploring in this series of podcasts. If you have ever needed help understanding what the NDIS is about, what it means for you and how to navigate it, then you have come to the right place.