Accessible homes for those living with a disability

TWO groups have come together to ensure people living with a disability have the same opportunities as the rest of the community starting with modern, accessible housing.

Emerge Living has teamed up with genU to create housing opportunities that put people with a disability in amongst the community.

With limited understanding in the broader market of Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA), this partnership has confirmed they will be running an educational event on February 26 from 11am to 1pm at the Wyndham Resort in Torquay.

The event will feature key speakers including NDIS representatives and independent SDA specialists to help inform and connect with attendees.

Emerge Living general manager Mark Hudson said many people were unaware of SDA funding and the process of applying through the NDIS.

“We want to educate people on how to go about the application and what options are available,” he said.

The event will appeal to people living with a disability, their careers and families who wish to gain more knowledge on the opportunities that may be available to them.

“Funding is currently being paid to just over 50 per cent of the estimated 28,000 NDIS participants who are expected to be eligible for SDA,” Mr Hudson said.

“This means individuals who may be eligible are living in accommodation that may not be fit for purpose, such as residential aged care, with elderly parents or in older group homes.”

Mr Hudson said the objective of this partnership was to provide appropriate housing that allows people to achieve their life goals while taking them out of aged care facilities.

The event aims to navigate eligible candidates through the application process, making it less stressful.

“We want to run this event to demystify, educate and inform, with various speakers who have experience in enabling people with a disability to choose and control where they live,” he said.

genU Executive Manager, Natasha Williams said the new partnership will help people with a disability find modern and accessible places to call home.

“We are trying to provide the most contemporary, most innovative houses for people with a disability in the broader Geelong and Surf Coast regions,” she said.

Ms Williams hopes this project will inspire people living with a disability to access more opportunities within the community.

“People become disabled through accidents, neurological conditions, illness and stroke and we want to assist them to ensure they have the same opportunities in life as anyone else,” she said.

“That’s why Emerge Living and genU want to create these housing opportunities so that people with a disability are empowered.”

Ms Williams, who will be speaking at the educational event, says she hopes the day will help motivate people to take the next step to more independent living.

The event will further explore the application process and available housing models, as well as giving eligible candidates a chance to meet one another and explore the township.

“I hope people with a disability living in nursing homes will think there is a chance for me, there is a better alternative I can explore, I can have that life and I can live in a location that I choose,” she said.

To find out more or confirm your attendance email [email protected] or phone 1300 10 30 50 by February 15, 2021.