An organisation dedicated to empowering individuals with neurological conditions and spinal cord injuries to thrive.
Dear friends and supporters,
At Spinal Cord Injures Australia (SCIA), we have witnessed firsthand how a spinal and neurological condition can impact individuals and their loved ones. It can happen to anyone, anytime, anywhere, and when it does, support and advice becomes essential. Our unique services cater to the diverse needs of people living with spinal and neurological conditions, offering a holistic approach that benefits not only individuals but also their families and communities across all life stages.
We deliver critical services that extend beyond what others can provide. Our mission is to empower lives, advancing the rights and choices of individuals living with spinal and neurological conditions, as well as people living with disability. Through personalised programs, we foster hope, independence, and a renewed sense of purpose.
We do, however, face our own set of challenges. Economic obstacles and the limitations of funding often leave us as the sole provider of essential programs. Many of the services we offer are not covered by the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) or grants, relying solely on donations to make them accessible to those in need.
This is why we need your help. Your ongoing support will enable us to continue to make a difference in the lives of those who rely on us for guidance, care, and hope. As we come together, I extend my heartfelt gratitude to each of you. Your dedication and support are the heart of our organisation, driving our ability to fulfill our mission. Together, we can create a world where no one faces disability alone, and where everyone has access to services that provide hope and truly assist them to live the life they choose.
Thank you for being a vial part of our journey. Your support can helps us empower lives, inspire hope, and pave the way for a future where people living with disability thrive.
With deepest appreciation,
Dianne Lucas
SCIA provides a wide range of services tailored to meet the unique needs of our clients as well as our partners.
This booklet aims to give you an overview of our services, opportunities for partnership and how we can support your organisation in realising your inclusion goals.
Did you know?
For people with spinal cord injuries it is estimated to cost the Australian economy more than $3 billion annually in direct care and economic costs.
There are over 1 million Australians with neurological and spinal conditions
Over the next 40 years the proportion of Australians over 65 will double to be approximately 25% of the total population.
Your support allows us to deliver continued services, whilst developing new and innovative initiatives to help our clients THRIVE.
Welcome to SCIA, a leading organisation dedicated to empowering individuals with neurological conditions and spinal cord injuries to thrive.
Empl oy Ability
Spinal Cor d Injuries Au st ralia
This service brings people with physical disabilities and employers together. Whether our clients are seeking employment, looking for a career change, or want to enhance their current job, EmployAbility provides support, training, and opportunities to open doors and transform lives.
We have successfully delivered a range of projects in the following areas:
• Telephone market research
• Data entry
• Transcription services
• Call centre support work
• Document digitisation
Partners have included Transport NSW, the NSW Rural Fire Service, and the NSW Department of Industry, Westpac and Australia Post.
POLICY & ADVOCACY
Policy and Advocacy is a core element of the work SCIA does. Advocacy can be defined as speaking, acting or writing on behalf of the interest of disadvantaged individuals or groups. Our advocates help people with disabilities, family and carers who struggle with receiving the adequate supports they need.
SCIA helps advocate for needs in four main aspects:
Self Advocacy
Supports people with disability to advocate for themselves. or as part of a group. As part of self advocacy, we often deliver training sessions to people with disabilities who work in Australian Disability Enterprise (ADE).
Family Advocacy
Our Policy and Advocacy team help parents and family members advocate on behalf of the person in their family who has a disability. Often family members of people with disabilities are already facing a myriad of issues that require advocacy, so our advocates take the strain off families and take on some of the issues until a resolution is found.
Individual Advocacy
We also provide targeted advocacy support to individuals who may be experiencing difficulty in areas such as service provision, access
to housing and accommodation, accessing suitable transport, getting access and eligibility to income support or employment services. Our team of advocates help clients navigate these processes to get issues addressed and pursue better outcomes to a degree that meets people’s needs.
Systemic Advocacy
The policy work we do do is broad and covers national, state and local issues in any domain that affects the lives of people with spinal cord injury and other disabilities. Any policy decision or regulation or law that has a negative impact on the lives of the disability community, be it access or inclusion or participation, is likely to have an influence on the work that the team do counter this. This comes in many forms such as lobbying decision-makers and funders (government and non-government) to pursue changes.
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RESILIENCE PROGRAMS
The SCIA resilience programs are free and designed to help our clients and the community improve resilience, wellness and meaning in our client’s lives. SCIA offer two programs which include:
The Engage program
Based on research on post-traumatic growth, Engage explores how people can flourish after traumatic life-changing events.
We work with our clients to explore how the people and activities they engage with when they acquire a disability bring meaning and enjoyment to their lives. Six modules are delivered in a structured group-based setting, guided by two facilitators, one an individual with spinal cord injury.
Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP)
This comprises of eight two-hour structured conversational workshops led by experienced facilitators and people living with spinal cord injury. During the program participants discover key concepts in addition to wellness plans that help them in creating the life and wellness they desire.
PEER & FAMILY SUPPORT
The Peer and Family Support team provide free, non-clinical, practical advice to help people with spinal cord injury as well as their families to;
• Develop knowledge and learn practical skills needed for everyday living
• Make connections in the community
• Feel supported and respected
• Regain confidence and independence
2022
Our team of 10 Peer Support Coordinators all with lived experience helped:
125 people with new injuries in the spinal units to adjust to life with an injury
180 people to build community connections
50 newly injured people to learn wheelchair skills for independence.
“ Without the program I wouldn’t have had the confidence to get back out in the world so soon. It contributed to my happiness and overall hope for the future. ”
Bianca
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ACCOMMODATION AND EMERGENCY
Accommodation (Located in WA)
Your support will provide short term accommodation to newly injured patients and their families. Giving them the opportunity to become familiar with activities of daily living, identifying interdependence capabilities and potential home modifications options.
Occasional & Emergency Service
Our team of registered nurses and nursing assistants help people with a spinal cord injury or other physical disability on an ad hoc or emergency basis.
SOLUTIONS FOR CORPORATE PARTNERS
Inclusion Training
Inclusion Workshops are tailored to meet your business needs. We have experience delivering inclusion training to a range of businesses including legal firms, airlines, retail, government departments, schools, and hospitals.
Our inclusion team use their lived experience to share the why and how with regards to offering accessible spaces and inclusive welcomes for people with physical disability.
The training can be delivered face to face or online: www.scia.org.au/inclusion-workshops
Retail workshops coming soon
SOCIAL ENTERPRISE
Our Social Enterprise delivers a wide range of commercial contacts, giving people living with physical disability the opportunity to gain valuable work experience in temporary, part time or full-time employment.
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ACCOMMODATION WORKSHOPS
Did you know?
• Accessible travel is the fastest growing travel sector in the country.
• People with a disability account for 17% of the total tourism revenue in Australia that’s $3.3 billion!
• 91% of our community stated that accommodation and accessible travel is a priority.
• The NDIS can fund up to 28 days of accommodation.
• 38% book additional non-accessible rooms for carers and support workers.
SCIA and Accessible Accommodation have come together to create a training course to help accommodation providers feel confident welcoming guests with accessibility needs.
The training is informed by real-life experience, designed through conversations with our community and focussed on what you can do now, for little or no cost.
The training can be delivered face to face or online: www.scia.org.au/online-inclusion-training-for-accommodation-providers
NDIS SUPPORT COORDINATION
NDIS Support Coordination
Navigating the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) can be a complex process.
Our Support Coordination service is designed to assist individuals in:
• Understanding their NDIS plan
• Accessing the necessary support services
• Guiding them through the NDIS processes, including plan reviews
• Discussing and assisting in goal achievement
NDIS Plan Management
Our Plan Managers facilitate the claiming of NDIS funds, payment to service providers, and provide budget updates and statements of payments. Our services include:
• Paying invoices for our customers
• Providing monthly plan spend budget updates
• Expanding our customers choice of providers
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A holistic and evidence-based exercise and therapy service designed to improve the quality of life for individuals living with neurological conditions and physical disabilities.
We have 15 locations across the country, and treat over 800 clients who have over 60 different neurological conditions. We specialise in complex conditions, and tailor their exercise program to meet the individual goals of our clients.
NeuroMoves provide safe and accessible facilities that people feel comfortable attending which for many with a disability is a huge hurdle to overcome.
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Help us provide a lifetime of support for over 1 million people living with a spinal cord injury and/or neurological condition.
HOW TO HELP?
We rely on generous supporters like you to ensure we can continue to provide our critical community services.
Our target is to expand into new regions each quarter, currently at a cost of $750k each.
WE NEED YOUR HELP
in safeguarding our vital funding of $2.6M in Grants currently at risk.
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MATCHED GIVING DAY CORPORATE SUPPORT
With the help of generous corporate supporters and major donors we seek to secure a pool of matched giving funds to support our Giving Day.
What is matched giving?
Every gift donated via this portal on Giving Day is doubled ie 1x1. $50 becomes $100 $250 becomes $500 $1000 becomes $2000
Double your impact.
Dollar for dollar, every donation will be matched until match giving funds expire.
THE GREAT AUSTRALIAN TRIVA CHALLENGE
Disability Inclusion Edition
• Online event
• Accessible in your workplace
• Remote workers
• Family and friends
Boost team wellbeing, increase disability awareness and inclusion in your workplace and support a great cause.
The SCIA Great Australian Trivia Challenge is designed to promote teamwork, communication, problem solving skills, it’s educational and it’s all for a good cause!
The trivia challenge will be a live hosted, online interactive experience, allowing teams and individuals to log in from the office or home anywhere in Australia.
Trivia questions will include general knowledge, disability inclusionbased questions, music and Who am I?
Duration 30 minutes.
This is a great corporate activity to boost team wellbeing, increase disability awareness and inclusion in your workplace and support a great cause.
LIVE Q&A SESSION ONLINE
On Giving Day, SCIA will host a series of live Q&A sessions, with topics aimed to provide awareness or support those living with disability.
• DISABILITY AWARENESS
• DISABILITY INCLUSION IN THE WORKPLACE
• YOU CAN’T ASK THAT
Opportunities exist for our corporate supporters to sponsor or host their own Q&A sessions.
The SCIA panel will consist of members from our Peer & Family Support team, our Inclusion Program team and also Employability, of which many come with lived experience
FUNDRAISE YOUR WAY!
Below are some fun ideas and suggestions of how your organisation could help raise much needed funds for SCIA. Our fundraising team will provide you with all the assistance you need to make it a success
However you choose to fundraise, you’ll be raising vital funds and awareness to help people living with spinal cord injury and neurological conditions to live their best life.
Morning Tea
Trivia Team
Team BBQ Bake Off
MUFTI OR THEME DRESS UP DAY
Physical Challenge
WE HAVE THE NERVE to talk about disability. DO YOU?
THIS HAS BEEN FUNDED BY THE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES. FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT DSS.GOV.AU
Listen to Have the Nerve whenever you get your podcasts LISTEN NOW
Infor mation for people with disabilities cur ated by people with disabilites
READ WATCH LISTEN
SCIA.ORG.AU/
RESOURCE-HUB/
RESOURCE HUB
THIS HAS BEEN FUNDED BY THE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES. FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT DSS.GOV.AU
