New career skills and a busy calendar: Linda’s first year using the NDIS

Linda from Rockhampton was one of the first Central Queenslanders to start using the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).

Now 12 months into the new system Linda, has a busy calendar, is getting career experience in a new field and says it’s been an interesting year.

Linda has intellectual impairment, and lives independently.

Before she joined the NDIS she had little support, which meant she had limited opportunities to get out and be a part of her community, and was sometimes lonely.

A year into her NDIS journey, Linda has more support and a rich life filled with learning new skills, social opportunities and a community of support around her.

Linda’s also expanding her career options. In the past, she worked in timber workshops making tables and chairs. Now she is working with the Yellow Door bookshop in Yeppoon, a social enterprise which provides training and employment experience to people with disability. Her weekly shift includes customer service and using the till.

Linda says she prefers working with her hands, but the extra skills she has gained at the bookshop will be valuable.

Other activities on Linda’s busy calendar include sewing, photography, music, and growing vegetables in a local community garden – a long time interest, which she is now doing in a community setting.

The NDIS also provides Linda with support with household chores, and community access to go shopping, to the movies, and other outings so she can be an active and valued part of her community.