Janice’s Story

How Specialist Disability Accommodation helped me rebuild my life

It’s been a tough road getting to where I am today but my life is full as I spend time with my family, catch up with friends, listen to podcasts, read about art history and global affairs, and paint when I can. I’ve been able to rebuild my career and most importantly I can be a mum – unhindered by my disability or the stigma that can sometimes be associated with it.

None of this would have been possible without Specialist Disability Accommodation and the team at Ability SDA though.

A life changed overnight

Before my accident, I was working on major infrastructure projects as a civil and geotechnical engineer. Engineering runs in my family, and I loved the challenge and purpose that came with designing complex structures and leading teams of engineers and architects on huge development projects.

Then I suffered a spinal cord injury that left me paralysed from the chest down. I spent almost a year in hospital adjusting to a completely different reality.

Life in hospital was incredibly difficult. My world shrank to little more than three blue hospital curtain walls. There was constant noise from machines and alarms, and very little privacy. The curtains would fly open at any given time. The nurses were not always sympathetic and I felt quite dehumanised in that environment.

There were some days I felt that I was essentially just a number waiting in a queue for help. If someone couldn’t assist me, I simply had to wait for the staff changeover in the next shift which could be hours away. And the food! Imagine eating hospital food for a whole year on a constant and limited rotation. After a year in that environment, I was desperate to get out, but leaving hospital wasn’t straightforward…

“Not disabled enough”

When it came time to plan my discharge, I was told something that shocked me. A hospital social worker explained that although I was now permanently in a wheelchair, I wasn’t considered “disabled enough” to qualify for Specialist Disability Accommodation.

Instead, I was told my options were to move into a shared SIL home or go into a nursing home. I was in my early 30’s and the thought of spending the rest of my life in a nursing home was terrifying.

It would have meant losing my independence totally and likely have been the end of my career. It also would have made it incredibly difficult to maintain and strengthen my relationship with my daughter as she would never have been able to spend any real time with me.

A mother who refused to accept “No”

Thankfully, my Mum refused to accept that outcome. She is an incredible advocate! Whilst I was still in hospital, she started researching alternatives and discovered SDA housing. It was something the hospital system barely seemed aware of and certainly not an option that had ever been mentioned or offered to me.

Navigating the NDIS processes was extremely complex though. Without my mum advocating for me, filling out paperwork and pushing back when people said something wasn’t possible, I don’t think I would ever have been able to access the support I needed. But my Mum was relentless and simply knew there had to be a better option for my life.

Finding an SDA Home

Thanks to my Mum’s investigation and advocacy, it was time to find my new home. She came across the team at Ability SDA and organised a tour through one of their apartment buildings. From the moment we first saw the Ability Apartments, we knew it was the right place for me.

Unfortunately, the NDIS approval process took much longer than expected and I was initially discharged to temporary accommodation that wasn’t wheelchair accessible. The layout of the small, two-bedroom unit I had to move into, meant that I could only access the kitchen and bathroom. I couldn’t reach the second bedroom or even get out onto the balcony. There wasn’t enough room for my equipment there either and I just couldn’t wait to move into an Ability Apartment instead.

When the day finally came, moving into my Ability SDA home changed everything for me.

I’ve now been living here for six years already and am thankful each and every day.

Designed for independence

As an engineer, I deeply appreciate thoughtful design in the Ability SDA Buildings – my apartment is full of it! Simple but important features make my everyday life not just ‘possible’, but freeing and pleasurable:

• Floor-to-ceiling windows that fill the apartment with light
• A balcony with no step so I can easily wheel outside and enjoy time outside
• Smooth flooring that allows me to manoeuvre my wheelchair easily in every room
• Kitchen cabinets designed with space underneath for wheelchair access
• Wide corridors that allow turning space
• Assistive technology that lets me control lights, blinds and doors independently

One of the most emotional moments for me was brushing my teeth over a sink for the first time in more than a year. It sounds small, but it was incredibly humanising. For the first time since my injury, I feel like I have my independence back in this place.

Returning to work

Having an accessible home made it possible for me to return to my career too. My office is set up perfectly to support me.

I currently work for an American infrastructure consulting company with Transport NSW as my top client. I manage multiple projects – typically all at once – redesigning and redeveloping main highways and road tunnels.

I manage teams of more than 50 people on each of my projects, who all have at least 100 reports under them. Some of the people I work with are based overseas in places like Spain and the Philippines too which makes the work and community incredibly interesting.

COVID actually turned out to be an unexpected silver lining for me as it forced organisations like mine to embrace the idea of remote work and proved that people can be just as productive working from home.

Without SDA housing and a strong support system, continuing my career simply wouldn’t have been possible, but I can honestly say that it’s part of who I am and I love the work I do and the relationships with my colleagues.

The power of support and community

I also have an incredible support team who help me with daily routines and personal care. My morning routine can take up to two and a half hours, so having reliable support workers makes a huge difference. They’re compassionate, capable and feel like part of my extended family.

Living in my building has given me a community of people who understand what life with a spinal cord injury is like. I’m close with several of my neighbours and we regularly share meals together and support one another. It’s comforting to be surrounded by people who understand the challenges and the progress we’re all trying to make as we navigate our new lives living with disability.

I’ve made friends with many of my able-bodied neighbours too as my daughter loves riding her bike and playing on the accessible rooftop with the other kids in the building. She has the chance to socialise and I do too.

Being a ‘regular’ Mum

One of the most important things this home has given me is the ability to maintain a strong relationship with my daughter. Her school is close by, which means I can attend school events and be part of her daily life. I can whip down the road to collect her from school and love that everything is so close to where I live.

Moments with her mean everything to me, and I relish the time just being a ‘regular’ Mum.

A message for others

If I could give advice to someone going through a similar experience, it would be this: advocate for yourself.

The system can be incredibly difficult to navigate, and sometimes people will tell you certain options don’t exist when they actually do.

Without my mum pushing for better outcomes, my life today would look very different, and I’ll always be grateful that she led me to Ability SDA.

Six years on, I can honestly say that this apartment didn’t just give me somewhere to live. It gave me my independence back, gave me time with my daughter, allowed me to continue my career and gave me the chance to rebuild the life I thought I had lost.

It has given me and my loved ones all a new lease on life.