Jo is standing inbetween her parents Anne and John. Anne, is standing to the left of Jo, with her hand on Jo's shoulder. John is standing on the right , leaning over Jo, playfully ruffling Anne's hair. Jo is smiling at the camera.

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The Page Family

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Michael is seated in a recumbent bike, and his support worker Kevin is standing next to him on the right

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Kevin is on the left and Michael is on the right. They are both sitting in recumbent bikes, outdoors and are both smiling at the camera.

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A young woman is happy making hand-crafted cards. she has short hair, glasses and a pink jacket.

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Janelle 1

Ash is wearing dark rimmed glasses and a black top. She is smiling and looking off to the side

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Craig is holding his book, Cooking up a Storm

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Craig Shanahan

Craig Shanahan has a passion for cooking, and from a young age dreamed of becoming a chef.
At two years of age Craig was diagnosed with cancer which resulted in him losing left eye. In his early 20s, another tumour damaged the optic nerve in his right eye, leaving him with only six percent of his vision remaining. But after two eye operations and becoming legally blind, Craig refused to let that stand in the way of achieving his dreams.
Craig, now 31, has spent the last 15 years working as a chef across Sydney’s hospitality scene, working in the kitchens of some of the city’s most renowned restaurants and even running his own café in western Sydney.
“It was hard getting into the industry. People definitely thought I’d be unsafe or a risk in the kitchen. For me, there was a lot of educating and showing to others that I had my ways of doing things and that I was safe and capable of being in the kitchen,” he said.
It was the many challenges that Craig has faced in his journey to become a chef, that motivated him to share his story in the picture book, <a href="https://shop.visionaustralia.org/craig-shanahan-cooking-up-a-storm.html">Cooking up a Storm</a>.<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-1702 alignright" src="https://wp.carersolutions.com.au/app/uploads/2023/08/tmporiginal_content-type_image_2Fjpeg_name_ES1231_BERBAY_Craig_Shanahan_Big_Visions_COVER_3D_72dpi.jpg" alt="" width="325" height="440" />
“The book is a real privilege for me and it’s really special that my story might help motivate a young person to go after their dreams,” Craig said.
<blockquote>“Just because you might live with a disability doesn’t mean that you can’t find a way of doing what you want to in life. It’s important young people know that, but also everyone else in their life.”</blockquote>
Vision Australia research shows that just 24 percent of people who are blind or have low vision are in full-time employment. While Craig has proven that living with blindness or low vision doesn’t have to be a barrier to career or personal success, Vision Australia hopes Cooking up a Storm will help challenge public perceptions and serve as inspiration for children and young people who are blind or have low vision, and their families.
Cooking up a Storm is the second book in the Big Visions series and can be purchased from <a href="https://www.visionaustralia.org/">Vision Australia</a> or leading bookstores and retailers across Australia.
Big Visions is a beautiful book series aimed at children who are blind or have low vision. Each book features an Australian hero, who champions resilience and encourages inclusion. These books aim to inspire a child to live the life they choose, by dispelling the misconceptions and expectation placed on them by society. Check them out!

Alex is a young woman wearing glasses and a bright shirt. Her hair is tied up and she has a fringe. She is in a wheelchair and is smiling at the camera.

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Alex

Alex is an outgoing 26-year-old with cerebral palsy. Even though her disability affects her muscles, she is completely cognitively coherent, not to mention bubbly and dry-witted.
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She has recently published a book, <a href="https://www.store.bookleafpub.com/product-page/words-from-within-1">‘Words from Within’</a> which is a selection of prose and poetry which tackles her perspective on societal norms, barriers to accessing the world around her, together with humorous and sweet antidotes about life.
Alex says that she has loved writing ever since she was a child.
“I have always wanted to be an author but in this particular instance, I wanted to share my spiritual journey in the hopes that others are able to relate and can explore and express themselves.”
“I want to break down the societal belief that disability is something to be fixed rather than simply making our community more environmentally, socially and mentally inclusive such as educating businesses about how to make their spaces more welcoming.”
Alex&#8217;s spiritual journey has seen her become a qualified psychic medium, which enables her to hold space for people to connect to their loved ones in spirit and also offer soul guidance.
“As a reiki practitioner, I am able to channel energy from one spirit to another, as it is a technique for relaxation and stress reduction that can also promote healing.”
Alex says she wants to advocate and provide a voice for those who have disability and are potentially marginalised in our community. She wants to reduce stigma, increase acceptance, and encourage inclusion.
“I have unique experience and knowledge of the challenges facing our community and believe I can aid in making positive changes. I also would like to give a voice to disabled individuals who have experienced traumatic events.”
<figure id="attachment_1675" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1675" style="width: 503px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" class="wp-image-1675" src="https://wp.carersolutions.com.au/app/uploads/2023/08/Alex2.jpg" alt="" width="503" height="335" srcset="https://wp.carersolutions.com.au/app/uploads/2023/08/Alex2.jpg 1080w, https://wp.carersolutions.com.au/app/uploads/2023/08/Alex2-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 503px) 100vw, 503px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-1675" class="wp-caption-text">Alex also enjoys being a mum to her fur-baby</figcaption></figure>
So, what would Alex’s message be to other young people with disability?
“Be kind to yourself because your differences are beautiful, you are beautiful and whole. Let society change and adapt around you, not the other way around.”

Seven members of the Plan Management team sitting down, smiling for a selfie

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Our personalised Plan Management service is unique for a number of reasons, but our Plan Management team take the time to get to know you, before we ask for your NDIS number.
Meet Becca, Josh, Emily, Bailee, James, Abbie and Naz – our Plan Management team.
We take the time that is needed to develop the relationships with the providers you choose.
Our personalised service means:
<ul>
<li>We pay your invoices in a way that works for you and your providers</li>
<li>You can track your spending with weekly statements of funds and monthly statements of spend</li>
<li>We keep you up-to-date with the NDIS price guide lingo</li>
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Having this great team of humans means that every time you pick up the phone, or each time you send an email, you’ll be able to connect with the same person, ensuring a highly personalised service and an ever-important continuity of care.
We know that navigating an NDIS Plan can be daunting for anyone, but our awesome Plan Management team have got your back.
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Support Worker is seated at a table with two young boys

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Have you ever dreamed of a holiday without your kids? No one to pick up after, no meals to cook, no lunch boxes to pack. Sounds idyllic, doesn’t it?
There’s no doubt that every parent dreams about going away on a solo holiday, but for parents of children with disability, the idea of travelling on their own can seem completely unobtainable.
Carer Solutions Partner and mum of two, Lauren, has been a stay-at-home mum for the past eight years, while caring for her two autistic boys, Archer 9, and Oliver, 7. Her husband Derek works long hours to support the family, which means Lauren was at home with the boys all the time.
Lauren’s sister lives in England, and when she gave birth, Lauren never in her wildest dreams thought she would ever be able to visit her and meet her new niece. She had trialled many support workers over the years to help with Archer and Oliver, but she was never able to establish any trust with the support workers she had been sent via an agency,
But, after discovering Carer Solutions and their Direct Employ service, Lauren was able to employ her own support worker after a friend highly recommended Laura to the family.
Laura already had experience as a support worker and onboarding her as Archer and Oliver’s support worker marked a pivotal point for Lauren and the whole family.
Carer Solutions assists families like Lauren’s to set themselves up as formal employers and employ people they may already know. Carer Solutions take care of all the time-consuming stuff such as payroll obligations and insurances, giving families all the support they need, to employ their dream support team.
“It totally eased my mind, having Laura onboard. She is firm but fair, and she is capable of reining the boys back in so that they keep their routine – they just love her,” she explains.
Not only does the Direct Employ service provide respite and peace of mind for Lauren, it has also afforded her the freedom to take a three week holiday to the UK to visit her sister and niece. She had not seen her sister for more than three years and was finally able to meet her baby niece for the first time.
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“Never in my wildest dreams could I have ever though that this could even be possible – but with the support of Laura it totally is.”
</blockquote>
Another Carer Solutions Partner, Elizabeth, who is mum of three autistic kids, was also able to travel overseas for the first time since becoming a mum over 21 years ago. Thanks to Carer Solutions, she was able to employ her favourite support worker, Sebastian, who was able to support Elizabeth’s children while she enjoyed the trip of a lifetime in Europe.
The trip was such a success, that Elizabeth has recently returned from her second solo European vacation, thanks to the support of Sebastian.
The unique service also provides flexibility for families to holiday together and employ a support worker at their holiday destination. That way they can avoid paying high overnight pay rates by bringing a support worker from home on the holiday with them.
“I encourage other mums to reach out to Carer Solutions and get the support that I now have. There is light at the end of the tunnel, and it is totally life changing.” Lauren says.

Woman sitting with her back to camera with a blue backpack on her back. She is looking out to the ocean.


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A teenager and a young woman crouched down, each with a golf club in their hands, looking at a golf ball on the golfing green

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Sarah and Jimmy are sitting on a couch, both smiling at the camera. 

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Trish and Alistair are both standing close to each other, smiling at the camera

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Trish and Alistair

Andrew is wearing a navy blue cap and hoodie, and his holding a paint brush. He is standing to the right of Steve, who has a beard and is wearing glasses and a navy polo shirt. Both are smiling off to the side.

Community Stories

How the Page family sourced support in regional Victoria

Michael and his support worker tackle the Great Vic Bike Ride together

Creating meaningful activities and social opportunities for people with disability

The Instagram page making it easier to find accessible venues

‘Cooking up a Storm’ with the blind chef

Meet Alex, our multi-talented Partner

Meet our Plan Management team

Direct Employ service making solo holidays for parents a reality

How the Chignell family found freedom and peace of mind

Nursing and paramedic students – the quintessential support for Jimmy

How Andrew connected with his support worker, Steve