Community
Living in the moment
Jason and Nicole Ellery share the highs and lows of their married life with two sons, which they began after Jason was hurt in a snowboarding crash. The couple had been together since both were 18.
Sustaining a working partnership
Greg Grigarius and support worker Sharon Brill have built a working relationship over more than 10 years.
Greg says Sharon has helped him preserve his autonomy as a husband and father. Sharon says working with AQA has offered her "more of a life" than she enjoyed in her nursing career.
Independent assessments: Our view
From next year, your capacity to function must be assessed for the NDIS by someone assigned to you, rather than by someone you hire, under a change announced recently.
We think you should retain the option of commissioning assessments from health professionals who are familiar with your circumstances, and we've made our case to a parliamentary inquiry.
Sharing lived experience
More than 100 people with lived experience of spinal cord injury work with AQA as Peer Mentors, having trained with us so that they can serve people who seek advice or other forms of support.
You can meet many of our Peer Mentors and learn about the work they do at AQA's Spire website.
Learning from support work
A distressing incident led Rita Figueiredo to apply in 1999 for support work with AQA. She explains how two decades of serving our clients has helped her see in new ways.
Our allied health service is open
Occupational therapist Emma O'Brien will offer her skills and lead an expansion of services. Learn more about Emma, her project with AQA, and how to discuss your allied health needs with her team.
Supporting connection
Connecting with other people who live with a spinal cord injury or other complex disability can bring enormous benefits. AQA Community Networks help people share their skills and knowledge and just have fun together.
See our Community Networks in action on video. You can learn more at our Spire website.
Need some help with your NDIS plan?
We take a capacity-building approach to NDIS Support Coordination, aiming to help you understand your plan and make the most of it. Team member and AQA Peer Mentor Georgina Fiorentino, who has been living with a T7 spinal cord injury since 1993, brings a professional background in accounting to her Support Coordination role.
Services
Our service model
The AQA service model draws on our decades of experience supporting people to live well with spinal cord injuries and other complex conditions. We build partnerships.
How we operate
NDIS accredited
AQA is a quality accredited and registered service provider with the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) and the Transport Accident Commission (TAC).
Jobs
Our support workers
We resource people to live well, and people includes our support workers. Our staff come from all walks of life and represent a broad range of ages and backgrounds.
What support workers do
Our support workers get to know people and help them - at home, in their local communities, and sometimes when travelling for business or pleasure. You may find yourself taking someone to an appointment, helping them get ready for work in the morning, or preparing an evening meal.
What support workers need
Prior experience of disability support work is helpful but what you need most is reliability and a wish to connect with people. As one of our longest-serving support workers explains: To be a carer, you need to have it in your heart.
Our history
500+
Staff
100+
Volunteers
400+
Happy Clients
