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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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.

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Two young women push two young boys on bikes.

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Louise Georgoa and kids

Photo of a young woman and a boy posing in front of a red car. The boy is sitting on a blue bike and dressed in a school uniform. The young woman crouches next to him and wears grey tshirt and shorts.

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Georgia and Ethan

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Australia is home to many popular musical festivals which is a rite of passage for so many, but sadly not everyone is able to fully access and enjoy such events.
Thanks to the awesome team at All Access Pass, they have designed a service that helps support people with disability to attend and participate in cultural, community and music events and festivals around Australia.
They identify and assess various events and festivals against criteria that consider the accessibility and inclusion capabilities of the event and its organisers, as well as identify any potential risks.
All Access Pass is launching its first Festival Access program with the Woodford Folk Festival as their first event.
The Festival runs starts on the 26th of December and runs through to the 2nd of January. It’s an annual music and cultural festival held near the semi-rural town of Woodford, 72 km north of Brisbane.
More than 2,000 local, national and international, artists, musicians and presenters put on over 438 acts to an estimated audience of 132,000 people.
Jason Clarke, All Access Pass Crew Director, says it’s great to be able to offer a truly accessible and inclusive festival camping experience.
<blockquote>“We didn’t want to create festivals that were disabled-centric, we wanted to ensure that all festivals were truly accessible.”</blockquote>
Jason and the team take care of everything including transport to and from the camp site &#8211; which includes a sensory tent, a support crew, an onsite nurse, as well three meals a day.
&#8220;There are 1:1 and 1:2 support options for either three, five or seven nights of camping.&#8221; Jason explains
“There will also be onsite end-to-end hoist facilities for showering and toilets as well as accessible tents. We can match you with a support worker or participants have the option of bringing along their own support workers as well”
The program is open to ages 18 and over and for those who have an NDIS plan and meet the eligibility criteria. A small personal co-payment is required as a deposit to confirm the event ticket, $150 for seven days, $110 for five days and $75 for three days.
To get your very own access pass, you must complete an <a href="https://forms.office.com/r/jg0ZjB0Hye">expression of interest</a> and select the program event and dates you are interested in.
You can call the friendly All Access Pass team on on 0493 873 410 or email hello@allaccesspass.au to find out more!
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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" decoding="async" 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" decoding="async" 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="auto, (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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Community Stories

Meet Melanie Dimmitt, author, broadcaster and mum

How Louise connected with the perfect Support Worker for her son

Amanda’s perfect Support Worker was closer than she thought

The team making musical festivals truly inclusive and accessible

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