In today’s society living with a disability is treated as a disadvantage leading to disabled persons being treated differently from other abled persons. Many causes have been set up or created to champion and advocate for the rights of people living with disabilities. Most of these causes of advocates tend to have the best intentions, but the follow-through is most lacking. But still, we have some individuals that have been able to affect and implement change in society; one such individual is Narelle Fairweather. We want to take this moment to proudly announce that Narelle Fairweather has been nominated as the ‘Most Outstanding Support Coordinator’ in the 2022 Australian Disability Service Conference and Awards (ADSCA). We must recognize and appreciate the progress made in the disability services sector, and that is what The ADSCA aims to achieve.
In six months, Narelle has matched 20 National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) beneficiaries to real estate agents; This has been achieved through Narelle’s initiative of inclusivity in the real estate sector. This initiative aims to make sure that all real estate agents are well informed on offering disability services and how to meet the needs and requirements of their disabled clients. By creating this awareness, Narelle has made it possible for her clients with a disability to find permanent homes in the current real estate market.
As I would like to call it, the Narelle initiative has reduced the risks of disabled people being homeless while offering them the opportunity to own permanent homes.
“We tested this initiative with one NDIS participant by organizing a meeting between them and the real estate agent where they spoke and came to a conclusion on what was required. thereafter, we organized a meeting which included a NDIS representative. The NDIS representative explained to the real estate agent how NDIS works from the services, supports, to how the funding works. The agent also met with the participant’s occupational therapist to understand what was physically needed in a potential rental home.” And with that, the Narelle initiative was created.
This initiative is just one of many ways that Narelle has taken to ensure that when disability services are offered, the outcome is positive and meaningful.
Narelle is among the 35 finalists in the Most Outstanding Support Coordinator category in this year’s awards. The recognition of the advancements made in the disability services sector is essential, especially for leaders like Narelle, says the awards organizer and one community co-founder, Shelley Youman.
