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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Jane is standing in between two First nations men. Everyon is looking and smiling at the laptop which is sitting on a wooden outdoor table.

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Jane computer

With over 50 per cent of First Nations people living in regional and remote areas, access to the right disability Support Workers is becoming increasingly challenging.
Due to the growing Support Worker shortage in these communities, the Carer Solutions team have been working hard to advocate on behalf of First Nations participants, to ensure they can access culturally appropriate support, regardless of where they live.
Last year our team travelled to Milingimbi (also known as Yurrwi) which is approximately 500km off the coast of Central Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory. We made the long journey to onboard NDIS participant Veronica, to our Direct Employ service.
Our unique service has enabled Veronica who is living with cerebral palsy, to directly employ Janita, a member of her Yolngu clan, as her Support Worker.
With Milingimbi having a population of around 1,400 people, where English isn’t even a first or second language, it was extremely important for Veronica to receive culturally appropriate support from someone she trusted and who understood her cultural needs.
She had previously been sent support workers from overseas who didn’t speak her language or respect her cultural values. A family member had to provide unpaid support which resulted in carer burnout. When Veronica’s family carer was unavailable, it meant that Veronica went without support altogether.
After hearing about Veronica’s situation, our Founder and CEO, Jane Morrell knew that Carer Solutions’ Direct Employ service was the solution Veronica so desperately needed.
“We were approached by The Miwatj Health Aboriginal Corporation when they heard about our Direct Employ model. Finally, they had an option which enabled Veronica to directly employ someone from within her own clan and receive dignified support from someone she was comfortable with,” Jane explains.
This meant that Veronica could finally receive culturally appropriate support from someone she already had a connection with. It also provided much needed relief to Veronica’s family member who had taken on the role of her unpaid carer for far too long.
<blockquote>“We are delighted that our unique service model and our extensive relationships with government and on-the-ground health providers made this happen, but it needs to happen more.”</blockquote>
Jane says giving individuals like Veronica and their families choice and control over who works with them, needs to become the “norm, not the exception”.
“I am excited to see what impact our Direct Employ service can continue to make across Australia – especially in regional and remote communities, where they urgently need access to innovative services like ours.”
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Veronica is wearing a pink top and is seated on the right in a wheelchair. Janita is seated to her left and is wearing a blue tshirt. Jane is standing up between them both.

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Jane Veronica and Janita

Angela is writing something on a piece of paper and Tiffany is sitting beside her. She is wearing glasses and knit jumper and she is looking at what Angela has written.

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Angela and Tiffany

Angela, Tiffany and Sophia are al standing in a skating rink, smiling and looking at the camera.

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Sophia Tiffany and Angela

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It’s fair to say that most of us love music festivals. Equally fair to say is that not all music festivals are accessible to those living with disability.
So, if we all love going to live gigs, then why is it still so difficult for everyone to fully experience them?
Dina Bassile is the founder of <a href="https://www.tibiaccess.com/">Tibi Access</a>, the team behind Taylor Swift’s recent Australian tour and the producer of Groove Tunes, a fully accessible and all-inclusive night of live music.
Dina uses a wheelchair and has lived experience of the gaps that exist in the Australian music industry, and that is what drove her to create Groove Tunes. Now in its third year taking, Groove Tunes is place again at the iconic Corner Hotel on May 18.
<blockquote>“Groove Tunes was created over three years ago with the intention of filling a gap in the live music scene by providing an inclusive environment where people of all abilities can come together and enjoy music without barriers.“</blockquote>
Dina explains her team recognised the lack of accessibility in many festivals and were motivated to create a space where everyone, regardless of their abilities could fully participate and enjoy the experience.
Artists with disability also feature prominently on the line-up, including soul artist and disability advocate Miss Emilia, who uses her music to tell her story of being a chronically ill and disabled woman.
When asked how she would describe her style of music, she says; “It’s like you and I are sharing a warm cuppa on a sunny Sunday afternoon, talking about life, being in the moment. My new music is an outpour from the heart, and I&#8217;m finally ready to share my story.”
Miss Emelia acknowledges that the music industry, as well as also society, has quite a long while to go before life here is truly accessible.
“Most of the time unless asked, venues and bookers will assume if you&#8217;re a musician &#8211; you&#8217;re able bodied. This is in part due to the lifestyle of performing with late nights, very sensory overloading spaces, the social interpersonal nature of the industry and with a lot of venues, due to council restrictions and the likes, not being able to be accessible.”
Miss Emelia says Tibi Access and gigs like Groove Tunes are the changemakers who are driving the industry forward into a more safe and accessible industry.
<blockquote>“Groove Tunes is very special for me since it&#8217;s a fully accessible festival, and since it&#8217;s run and featuring disabled people, I am so grateful to be a part of it and feel supported by the whole team! Not to mention the amazing line-up, and playing at the Corner which is a dream. “</blockquote>
Looking into the future, Dina says the team hope to continue expanding and evolving the festival, reaching an even wider audience and setting new standards for accessibility in the entertainment industry.
“We aim to foster a sense of community and empowerment among attendees, while also advocating for greater accessibility in all aspects of society. Ultimately, we aspire for Groove Tunes to serve as a model for inclusivity and inspire other events to prioritise accessibility.”
Tickets to Groove Tunes are on sale now, with free entry for companion cardholders. Grab them <a href="https://tickets.cornerhotel.com/outlet/event/68d0f921-1642-4d18-bbd8-f404f9e8b7be">here</a>.
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Three men are seated on chairs in an office, in front of computers, They are all looking at the camera and smiling

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Hibi App Team

Behind each child with complex needs, is a family working hard to manage, coordinate and navigate their care. A never-ending paper trail of medical documents, prescriptions, therapies and endless nights Google-ing for information.
If only there was a centralised place where all this information could be stored, ready to share with the appropriate people when needed.
Well, the good news there is!
We recently had the pleasure of meeting the co-founder of Hibi, Sam Milliken-Smith, who told us all about their awesome app that is revolutionising the way parents manage their child’s care information.
“We built Hibi having ourselves seen how fragmented and complex care systems can be for families. We know just how overwhelming it is to manage, coordinate and navigate care,” Sam explains.
Hibi is a free app that helps parents and carers offload some of the admin that comes with caring for a child with disability. That means you can have all of your child&#8217;s key information, all in one place – at your fingertips.
Sam says he had personally experienced the immense complexity parents encounter while supporting children with additional needs. Determined to make a difference, Sam built Hibi together with his co-founder Uzay Macar.
<blockquote>“We wanted to build something that could provide the tools and resources that families need to coordinate their child’s care.”</blockquote>
Hibi means that you can forget having to remember your child’s medications and dosing during an emergency, and you no longer need to recite their diagnosis story every time you see a new specialist.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-2121" src="https://wp.carersolutions.com.au/app/uploads/2024/04/Hibi-app-212.jpg" alt="" width="555" height="555" srcset="https://wp.carersolutions.com.au/app/uploads/2024/04/Hibi-app-212.jpg 1080w, https://wp.carersolutions.com.au/app/uploads/2024/04/Hibi-app-212-600x600.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 555px) 100vw, 555px" />
With features including a shareable care passport, journal and information trackers, Hibi allows multiple carers to stay across your child’s supports, medications, appointments, symptoms and more. It also provides access to expert advice, guidance, and a supportive community of fellow parents.
Sam recently was bestowed the honour of being invited by the UK Prime Minister to 10 Downing Street in London, to share the incredible work of the Hibi team in supporting caregiving through technology.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-2119" src="https://wp.carersolutions.com.au/app/uploads/2024/04/Hibi-Number-10-Downing.jpg" alt="Sam is standing in front of number 10 Downing Street in London." width="612" height="408" srcset="https://wp.carersolutions.com.au/app/uploads/2024/04/Hibi-Number-10-Downing.jpg 1080w, https://wp.carersolutions.com.au/app/uploads/2024/04/Hibi-Number-10-Downing-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 612px) 100vw, 612px" />
We think Hibi is so much more than an app and we encourage you to check it out for yourselves. For more info, go to <a href="https://hibi.health/">hibi.health</a>

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JAM the Label was born from an idea of two Occupational Therapists and Disability Support Workers Emma Clegg and Molly Rogers, to “shake up the mainstream fashion industry”.
It was through working with two of their favourite clients, Jack and Maddie, that they realised just how difficult and uncomfortable getting dressed was for them both.
“We looked around for more suitable clothing options and quickly found that whatever was comfortable and easy &#8211; for them and us &#8211; was not cool or suited towards young people wanting to express themselves through their fashion choices,” co-founder Emma explains.
Emma and Molly recognised that people with disability, who make up 15-20 per cent of the population, had been excluded from mainstream fashion. So, it became their mission to build an adaptive clothing brand that would enable young people to express themselves through their fashion.
Now celebrating their fifth birthday, Emma and Molly reflect on just how far JAM has come in such a relatively short period of time.
<blockquote>“There have been some really cool moments for us that at the time just felt surreal, but being able to reflect on them now makes us very proud.”</blockquote>
You may have seen the adaptive fashion label make headlines at last year’s Australian Fashion Week, when disability advocate Chloé Hayden, wore the iconic “Fix The System, Not Me” trench in Australia’s first ever adaptive fashion runway.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-2081 alignright" src="https://wp.carersolutions.com.au/app/uploads/2024/03/News-Events-1080-x-720-11-3.jpg" alt="Australian Fashion Week Adaptive Fashion Runway" width="366" height="244" srcset="https://wp.carersolutions.com.au/app/uploads/2024/03/News-Events-1080-x-720-11-3.jpg 1080w, https://wp.carersolutions.com.au/app/uploads/2024/03/News-Events-1080-x-720-11-3-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 366px) 100vw, 366px" />
Emma also says launching on Australian online fashion retailer The ICONIC as part of their &#8216;Adaptive Edit&#8217;, has been a memorable and significant achievement for the duo and their label.
“We often reflect on our greatest achievements being the impact we&#8217;ve been able to have on our customers. Receiving feedback or product reviews on how JAM has helped an individual&#8217;s day to day life or given them the dignity and confidence they deserve from their clothing is what we are most proud of. “
As Emma looks to the future, she says she hopes that JAM can lead by example and show how to include people with disability in an authentic and meaningful way.
“In the next 5 years we would love to see &#8216;Adaptive Clothing&#8217; become a fashion category that enters the mainstream retail industry and become a widely known term just like &#8216;Maternity Wear&#8217;.
We&#8217;d love to see it too, and have no doubt that Emma, Molly and the JAM team can make that vison a reality!
<a href="https://jamthelabel.com/">You can check out their awesome range of products here.</a>

On the left, a woman is wearing a white tshirt with the word JAM written on the front. She has long blonde hair. To her right, is a woman wearing a khaki shirt, and has short dark brown hair. Both women are smiling at the camera.

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We love celebrating our community &#8211; especially our Partners like Rosie Treasure, who is achieving great things and pursing her passion.
Rosie, 20, lives on a small farm in Tasmania with her mum and brother, where she has nurtured her artistic talent, finding inspiration from her everyday life.
“My animals are everywhere &#8211; a goat on the car, a chicken in house, a pony out the window and so many dogs sleeping under the table. The land is always changing from the different seasons and different light, and I&#8217;ve spent a lot of time out in the paddocks with sheep and cattle,“ she explains.
Rosie’s paintings are a bold but fun reflection of her beautiful environment, and she says she has been painting since she was in nappies.
<blockquote>“Mum would put me under a willow tree on the farm with paint and paper and let me go for it.”</blockquote>
Rosie is hosting her third art exhibition on 14 February 2024, called <a href="https://rosietreasureart.com/news/tasmanian-produced-collective-and-sprout-tasmania-exhibit/">‘Characters of the Farm’</a> in recognition of National Regenerative Agriculture Day.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-2031 alignleft" src="https://wp.carersolutions.com.au/app/uploads/2024/02/News-Events-1080-x-720-11-2.jpg" alt="Rosie painting" width="326" height="217" srcset="https://wp.carersolutions.com.au/app/uploads/2024/02/News-Events-1080-x-720-11-2.jpg 1080w, https://wp.carersolutions.com.au/app/uploads/2024/02/News-Events-1080-x-720-11-2-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 326px) 100vw, 326px" />
At this ‘paddock-to-paint’ event, she will be launching six new paintings, all celebrating the love of her rural life.
Rosie acknowledges that she wouldn’t be able to put on these exhibitions and promote her artwork, if it wasn’t for the support of her community.
“Artists need support &#8211; whether you have &#8216;normal&#8217; ability or disability &#8211; but I&#8217;m lucky because I have my creative mum, my former high school teacher mentoring me, and support from lots of people around me,” she says.
The event will also raise money for <a href="https://www.rdatas.org.au/">Riding for the Disabled</a> and raise awareness about being kind to animals and kind to the soil.
Rosie encourages other people with disability to pursue their passions.
“Look away from what everybody else says or does and look out into the world and just do it. Do what makes you happy. “
You can check out Rosie’s artwork and events on her <a href="https://rosietreasureart.com/">website</a>.

Rosiet is standing to an art easel which holds a painting on a canvas. She is wearing a bright pink short and a black apron and is smiling at the camera.

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A little boy is sitting on his mums lap. She has with shoulder length blonde hair and wearing a white tshirt. They are sitting outside on a patio.

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Melanie and Arlo

Melanie Dimmitt is a busy woman who has numerous strings to her bow. She’s a freelance journalist, author, editor and broadcaster, but her most important role to date, is being a mum of two children, Arlo and Odette.
Her son Arlo was diagnosed with quadriplegic cerebral palsy when he was just six months old. Melanie and her partner were understandably fearful about what his, and their future would look like.
They, like many other parents of children with disability, desperately sought connection with others who had been through the trials and tribulations of raising a child with a disability.
While Melanie’s pathway into parenthood had taken an unexpected turn, the experiences on her journey of parenting a child with a disability inspired her to share her thoughts and experiences with other parents traversing the same fears and challenges.
So in 2019, she launched her debut book, <a href="https://www.amazon.com.au/Special-Antidotes-obsessions-childs-disability/dp/1925384683/ref=asc_df_1925384683/?hvadid=378621448074&amp;hvdev=c&amp;hvdvcmdl=&amp;hvlocint=&amp;hvlocphy=9071752&amp;hvnetw=g&amp;hvpone=&amp;hvpos=&amp;hvptwo=&amp;hvqmt=&amp;hvrand=670428610296438773&amp;hvtargid=pla-818396607985&amp;linkCode=df0&amp;psc=1&amp;tag=googleshopdsk-22">Special: Antidotes to the obsessions that come with a child’s disability</a>,
As if writing a book wasn’t enough for this busy mum, Melanie also hosts the <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/ndis-know-how/id1572588958">NDIS Know-how</a> podcast series that offers tips and tools to parents on how to successfully navigate the NDIS and get the most of their NDIS plan funding.
She has most recently created another disability podcast series called <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/tubie-talks/id1723261225">Tubie Talks</a> that celebrates the lives of people and families who tube-feed.
In 2021, Melanie was introduced to the world of tube-feeding when Arlo had a gastrostomy tube inserted after an x-ray found that he was accidently inhaling small amounts of whenever he ate or drank. As a result, he needed to be tube-fed.
It was this personal experience of tube-feeding that led her to launch <a href="https://www.theblendmag.com/">The Blend</a> in 2022. The Blend is an annual lifestyle magazine designed to inform and inspire the tube-feeding community, especially ‘tubie newbies’ or people who are otherwise new to the world of tube-feeding.
<a href="https://feedingtubeaware.com.au/">Feeding Tube Awareness Week</a> is celebrated nationally every February and aims to raise awareness about tube feeding and unite the community.
<h3>In recognition of Feeding Tube awareness Week 2024, Melanie shares her thoughts and personal insights with us on the fascinating world of tube-feeding.</h3>
Why is Feeding Tube Awareness Week so important?
Because many people aren’t aware of what feeding tubes are. They’re also not aware of the breadth and diversity of the many people and families who rely on tube-feeding. I certainly wasn’t before my son Arlo had his gastrostomy tube inserted. Something that, at the time, I thought was a tragedy.
Your average punter will likely only see a feeding tube attached to a sick-looking kid on a poster in a hospital. You might see a person tube-feeding as part of an ad from a charity fundraiser or, as we’ve watched on national television, a scary anti-smoking campaign.
Before we know better, feeding tubes are something we associate with sickness, suffering and palliative care, but this doesn’t paint the full picture of our diverse – and largely thriving – community.
What do you think is one of the greatest misconceptions people have about tube-feeding?
That it’s a tragedy (like I thought it was). While a feeding tube will usually come as a result of health challenges, it’s not the bad guy. Feeding tubes are the heroes of so many people’s stories. Would a lot of us in the feeding-tube community rather not need to tube-feed, or tube-feed our loved ones? Of course. But by golly are we grateful for these lifesaving devices.
What would you say to a parent or a person who is commencing their tube-feeding journey?
Find us! It might feel like you’re the only parent or person going through what can be a very tough lifestyle adjustment, but I promise, you’re in very good company. The online tube-feeding community is the most welcoming and helpful bunch I’ve ever encountered.
Knowing what you know now, is there any advice you would give yourself back when Arlo was a ‘tubie newbie’?
I wish I could tell myself what another parent, who’d been doing this thing for a while, told me on Facebook once we were a couple of months (and much, much vomiting) into Arlo’s tube-feeding journey. That mum’s name is Eron, and she said to me:
“Melanie, from one PEG mum to another, you’re not going to get the formula right. Don’t be scared to try blended. It doesn’t have to be hard. Take the food Arlo was eating before a tube, blend that up with liquid to a milkshake texture and syringe that through as a starting point. Unless he has specific dietary needs, it doesn’t have to be rocket science.”
Tube feeding is different for everyone. And getting it right can take a bit of trial and error and a lot of trusting your gut.
There are countless people all over the world, Arlo included, living full and healthy lives because of their feeding tube. And we need more awareness around this cohort.

Melanie is wearing a grey jumper and is looking at the camera, resting her head on her hand.

Community Stories

How the Page family sourced support in regional Victoria

Planning an overseas holiday with your Support Worker

First Nations participant receives life-changing disability support

‘One of a kind’ service enabled Sophia to handpick Tiffany’s Support Workers

Isabella and her Support Worker Janet ‘clicked straight away’

Blade’s Support Worker was the big brother figure he needed

The inclusive music festival paving the way for a fully accessible future

Hibi: The app simplifying complex care information

A mission to bring stylish, adaptive fashion into the mainstream

Rosie showcases her rural life in Art Exhibition

Meet Melanie Dimmitt, author, broadcaster and mum