The Hand Up Space

21/11/2025

Good news of the week!
• Participant with a progressive neurological disability got a savage funding cut after a brief NDIS check-in.
• Peter made the cut with zero contact with me.
• I called the new NDIS provider line – got an apology and admission it was handled wrongly. Essential AT request wasn’t assessed.
• Complaint lodged re Peter’s conduct.
• S100 to be submitted.

Is it a win? Maybe… but hearing “sorry” from them is rare enough to celebrate.

Have an awesome weekend!
Neens 👏🏼

16/11/2025

🎉 It’s the final ISA meeting of 2025! 🎉

Join us Wednesday, Nov 26, 1–2pm for a special session of the Illawarra Support Coordination Alliance.

✨ Guest Speakers:
• Kylie Jones from – reminding us that everyone deserves to have fun and the dignity of risk!
• Emma Kendall from – sharing the exciting new MS Get a Head Start exercise program for people living with Multiple Sclerosis.
Justine Leonard from will also provide Sector updates 👌🏼

🎄 And of course… a Christmas tasty-themed lunch sponsored by to celebrate the end of an amazing year!

Come for the insights, stay for the laughter, connection, and festive cheer. 💛

Neens and Michelle 👋🏼

14/11/2025

Roadtest: $1099 Equipmed Power Wheelchair
• Working as a Support Coordinator and Living with progressive MS doesn’t mean I get special treatment.
• Couldn’t wait 12–18 months for NDIS—needed a fast solution. This is it.
• Bariatric, surprisingly comfortable, easy to assemble, 12-month warranty.
• MS progression needs quick fixes, not slow bureaucracy that risks functional decline.
• Disclaimer: Talk to your care team.
• Questions? I might answer—but I reserve the right not to for personal privacy ❤️

Neens 👋🏽

12/11/2025

Wait… Bunnings sells wheelchairs now?! 🛠️😮

Yep — alongside the snags and power tools, you can now grab a bariatric power chair for $1099.
It’s part of their new Assisted Living range (online only for now — but imagine test-driving one down the paint aisle 👀).

I’ll show you what it looks like, how it feels, and why I think this move from Bunnings is marketing genius.

Should I do a road test? 👇🏽

Disclaimer: Always talk to your care team before buying to make sure these products meet your needs.

08/11/2025

One thing I’ve noticed in my 10 years as both an NDIS participant and Support Coordinator — wheelchairs often get scripted by the OT, funded by the NDIS… and then dropped off with no real plan to build confidence or teach the skills to actually use them.

So they sit there. Unused. And the freedom that could’ve been? Lost.

There’s such a gap for peer-led wheelchair skills training — because honestly, who knows better than someone who uses one every day?

It’s something I wish existed when my MS meant I needed one.

That’s why I love helping people like my friend Janet, who also lives with MS, to build her scooter skills and confidence. She thought she couldn’t do it — but she did!

And I get to feel useful 💪🏽
Roll on, Janet 💜

Neens 👋🏽

06/11/2025

🚪 Out of Office 🚪

Hey legends!
The Hand Up Space is clocking off for a few days — we’re closed Friday 7 Nov and back Monday 10 Nov at 9am.

No, I haven’t ghosted you — just attending training so we can keep fighting the good NDIS fight 💪🏽

If it’s urgent, contact your provider or the NDIS on 1800 800 110.
Otherwise, I’ll get back to you once the tea kicks in on Monday.

Neens 👋🏽
Keeping it real, one NDIS plan at a time

01/11/2025

🎉 Last assessment submitted!

That’s a wrap for this semester of my Diploma in Trauma Informed Care and Practice.

Feeling proud of the hard work, the late nights, and all the learning that’s going to make me a smarter, more empathetic Support Coordinator. 💪

Being a disabled woman has taught me the power of a growth mindset — I don’t shy away from challenges, I use them to grow. Here’s to learning, thriving, and making a real difference! ✨

Neens 👋🏽

31/10/2025

🎃 Happy Friday and Happy Halloween! 👻

Ever heard of a Revolution Chair? It’s not a throne for dramatic exits (though I could use one of those 😂) — it’s a mobility chair that rotates to help with transfers, reduce strain, and make day-to-day life way easier.

For anyone juggling fatigue management — especially if you’ve got MS or similar conditions — this little number can make a big difference. Talk to your OT about whether it could work for you.

And if you’re a Support Coordinator, flagging simple, fatigue-saving equipment like this can be a total game-changer in your participants’ plans. It’s all about working smarter, not harder.

🪑💡 Small tool. Big impact.

– Neens 👋🏽

28/10/2025

27/10/2025

Started Monday strong 💪🏽
Plan reassessment ✅
Participant with progressive disability sees funding increased across most areas – no cuts! 🎉
Big win thanks to an amazing care team (shoutout to the OT from for the updated Functional Capacity Assessment report 🙌🏽)

Neens 👋🏽

24/10/2025

🎉 Good News of the Week! 🎉

After a long 12-month application process, my participant’s new wheelchair with power assist and Home Mods (ramp access! 🙌🏽) have officially been approved by the NDIS!

The Planner was strengths-based, gave space for the participant to tell their story, and genuinely listened with respect.

💪🏽 These are the wins worth celebrating as a Support Coordinator — moments that remind us why we do what we do.

– Neens 👋🏽

22/10/2025

Hot, windy day in Wollongong 🌬️ but we still made time to come together for our October Support Coordination Alliance meeting.

Huge thanks to Justine Clout from for joining us — hearing about the challenges of delivering quality care in an era of NDIS funding cuts hit hard.

We also tackled some problem-solving around getting urgent help when essential AT items like hoists break down 🧠💪

Big thanks to for sharing your beautiful space (and the lunch 🙌).

Next meeting: Wed 26 Nov, 1pm with — they’ll be talking all things dignity of risk and how it’s embedded in their service.

See ya!

Neens & Michelle 👋🏽