SEV's Story

I’m a bit of a fashion fiend and love adding beautiful jewellery and new dresses to my collection. I suppose you have to look great when you’re living it up!

When I was a baby, I became quite ill with a virus. The illness made its way into my brain and that resulted in me developing Cerebral Palsy. Because of that experience, I’m wheelchair bound and have found it difficult to navigate more traditional accommodation in the past.

I have been so lucky to have stable housing as I know that’s not always the case for people with disabilities. Previously, I was living in my family home with my Mum, Stepdad, Brother and the family dog. I met my partner, Heather, last year and she lived with us for some time too. Our family home had ramp access for me, an accessible bathroom and front doors that opened automatically with the push of a button. I realized that it would be a struggle for us to find a regular rental property with the same features when Heather and I got married and decided to move out on our own. We feel really fortunate to be in an Ability Apartment now!

We have so much room and really enjoy having our own space. The Ability SDA team has given us so much freedom here – they even let us paint our bedroom hot pink! We loved it so much, we painted the lounge room the same colour and added some pink furniture for a bit of extra fun. It really does feel like OUR home and that’s really special. To complete the family, we now have 2 dogs called Gnocchi & Cannoli. They’re the best and we love having them!

I have the chance to be more independent here and value my privacy. I really appreciate all the built-in extras, like Assistive Technology and an accessible kitchen, that simplify my days. Everything is easy to use and makes the day-to-day process of living much more enjoyable. My partner is a huge help to me on a daily basis too, but I was relieved to be able to bring my private support team with me when I moved. It’s great having the onsite overnight support team available to me in the building, but I really do love my personal care team and was glad I didn’t have to make any changes there before moving in.

The SDA application process via the NDIS was easy for me too. I had a great support coordinator and my family and partner helped me so much with all the paperwork. Once I was fully approved, they also helped me find the right movers and pack and organise my things. They helped me put together my new furniture when we got here and set up the apartment the way I wanted it to be.

I love that I can have people over whenever I like and my friends and family love the apartment too. Because I already knew some people in the building, we have a great social life and go out a few times a week together. Overall, I just have way more freedom here and many more opportunities to live independently.
I would recommend that people in similar positions apply for funding too – just do it. Do your research on where you want to live and get the ball rolling – it’s really great to be independent and live in a home that’s custom-built to meet your needs. For the first time in ages, I have lots of new plans and goals for the future. I want to live happily here for a long time. It’s great to feel safe and free to do the things I really want to do!