Connecting to our local community and feeling confident and supported is essential to healthy emotional wellbeing.
The social model of disability explores how barriers to accessing mainstream society create many of the downsides of living with a disability. A non-inclusive world can make it hard to live a full life. We are working each day to make our communities more accessible so that everybody can live a life without barriers.
For now, we are focusing on how we can provide support to people with disabilities to access their community and meet their needs. None of us want to be lonely, after all! Communicating with others contributes to our self-esteem, our confidence, and our enjoyment of each day.
Thankfully, there are many great and accessible community programs that everybody is welcome and able to attend. The NDIS and disability support providers understand the importance of community and provide support for community access. “Assistance with Social & Community Participation” is a section in your NDIS plan which is covered under your ‘Core Supports’ budget. You can use this funding to access your community.
We’ll break down everything you need to know about community access below.
What is community access?
Community access refers to peoples’ ability to access It is a general term discussing a person’s ability to participate in community services, socialise, and live their life outside of medical appointments.
A disability support worker or a community support worker can assist you in accessing the community.
For example, you could let your support worker know that you would like to see a new movie coming out next week. Your community support worker could then arrange a time to pick you up, drive you to the cinema, watch the movie with you, and go get a coffee to chat about it afterwards. They could also drive you to and from day programs, or take you out for a shopping trip and a library visit.
It’s important to ensure that you choose a reliable and supportive disability support provider because you need one that will be reliable, friendly, and professional. You will often spend a lot of time with your support worker and should not settle for anything less than excellent support. Don’t be afraid to shop around, and At Focused Health Care we take pride in our ability to provide exceptional support to our clients.
What are the benefits of community access?
The benefits of accessing your community to shop, exercise, play, and connect to friends and family are immeasurable. Some of the benefits include:
- Increased confidence and self-esteem
- Increased wellbeing and happiness
- Skill building
- Empowerment
- Increased enjoyment of life
What kind of things are included in community access?
Community access will look slightly different for everybody because each person has their own culture, interests and abilities. Community access could include a wide range of different services and activities such as:
- Attending an arts or music class
- Attending a disability service that provides day programs to meet other people with disabilities and enjoy accessible services such as cooking classes or sports games
- Going to your local library
- Going to the gym to work out
- Shopping
- Spending time with family and friends
- Attending church or other religious events
- Enjoying the outdoors
- Building skills, e.g. completing a barista course
How Focused Healthcare can help
With the right support in place, you’re equipped to live life on your terms.
That starts with finding a service provider who shares your positive approach and helps you navigate around barriers to living your fullest life.
Focused Health Care is a registered National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) provider, meaning we meet government safety and quality standards for providing services to people with a disability. We’re based in Brisbane and Townsville but we provide services to clients across Queensland.
At Focused Health Care, we know that your disability doesn’t define you. You’re a unique person with your own interests, relationships and aspirations. Our job is to provide the support you need to develop your skills, explore your interests, and live as independently as possible. Our friendly and professional support workers are reliable and professional, enabling you to plan your schedule with confidence.
If you’d love that kind of service, please contact us today.
Disclaimer
All information is general in nature.
