New career, life changed for Northern Rivers’ mum thanks to NDIS

How one woman’s incredible story is now helping other NDIS participants on the road to success.

LIFE CHANGING: Alicia with Social Futures Local Area Coordinator Laura Boorman.

Lismore mum Alicia refused to let disability get in the way of her ability to achieve more.

Now thanks to Social Futures and NDIS, she is helping others participants work towards their dreams too.

Mum of two Alicia has cerebral palsy which affects her physically, but not intellectually.

"Because of my disability, every day I am in pain. Something is sore every day and some days are worse than others," she said.

"I'll have random leg spasms or tightening of the muscle - some days it's hard just to get out of bed. And then if my whole back goes into spasm - that's just … awful."

But a desire to hone in on her talents led the 39-year-old to seek out help to improve her life.

Turning to Social Futures Local Area Coordinator (LAC) Laura Boorman, she was able to get started at NeuroMoves therapy - an exercise physiology specialists for people living with a neurological condition.

With physical health improving, Alicia and Laura then launched a job hunt to find a career which truly challenged Alicia.

"I knew I could do a lot more if I just had the opportunity," she said.

Soon hired part-time by local businesswoman Michelle Garret, Alicia worked as an administrative assistant until the chance to tackle plan management training came up.

"When Michelle told me she wants me to do plan management training I said, 'are you serious?', and she said, 'yes. I am, you're quite capable'," Alicia said.

"Michelle has got me doing all of the admin and invoices, so I now see the NDIS from the other side."

Alicia will be trained to help NDIS participants to activate their NDIS Plan and write up notes to help support plan reviews.

She said the career change was "amazing".

"Now I actually like going to work because I have a purpose," she said.

"I get to help people with disabilities achieve their goals and I'm really looking forward to doing training in plan management in the future.

"Life before the NDIS was pretty crap. You just survived basically. Having the NDIS has given me more opportunity to make my goals, to do what I want to do, to actually better my life.

"The NDIS has given me a better purpose in life. To have the support there that I've never had before."

To talk to a Local Area Coordinator about the NDIS or to find out how your school can take part in inclusion awareness programs, email [e-mail] or call the LAC Hotline on 1800 522 679.

Originally published as Cerebral palsy sufferer describes career change as 'amazing'