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Singing The Blues
Singing the Blues – Wonderful insights and feedback to the Byron Bay Bluesfest by an amazing woman living with a disability. An open letter to
April 23, 2025
At Navigate Your Way, we help simplify the complexities of the NDIS. From understanding your plan to connecting with the right supports, our team is here to ensure you make the most of every opportunity.
At Navigate Your Way, our vision is an inclusive and equitable world where every NDIS participant feels heard, valued, and supported. We aim to be a trusted partner, helping individuals navigate the NDIS with confidence and clarity.
We aim to empower individuals to live independently, make informed choices, and engage fully in their communities. With authentic relationships, cultural sensitivity, and respect for personal goals, we provide support coordination that transforms lives.
The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is Australia’s first nationwide initiative that provides funding to support people living with a permanent or significant disability. It offers individuals access to the reasonable and necessary supports they need to live a full, independent life and work toward their personal goals. This support is tailored to each person’s unique needs and is designed to continue throughout their lifetime. Understanding and planning within the system leads to positive outcomes. With the right approach, the NDIS can help you or your loved one thrive. Albeit navigating the system can be complex.
We believe in supporting participants to take the lead in their own lives—by providing the tools, information, and confidence they need to make informed decisions, define their own goals, and achieve meaningful outcomes.
Every person’s journey is unique. We honour each individual’s story, background, and identity with deep respect—listening without judgment and advocating for their right to be seen, heard, and valued.
Strong, authentic relationships are the foundation of impactful support. We take the time to connect, build trust, and collaborate with participants, their families, and communities to create sustainable support networks.
We act with transparency, accountability, and consistency in everything we do. Participants can trust that our words match our actions, and that we always prioritise their wellbeing, autonomy, and privacy.
Is this service in my NDIS plan?
In you NDIS Plan support coordination is funded by the Capacity Building Supports budget, under ‘Support Coordination’.
Your Navigate Your Way Support Coordinator can help you:
We offer and assist specifically with levels 1 and 2. We can help increase your knowledge and confidence in navigating the NDIS and your plan. We Can:
Connect you to NDIS and other government services.
Help you negotiate supports within your plan budgets or gather evidence to request a new NDIS plan.
Monitor your plan spend together and upskill you on the different types of plan management.
The supports you can access through your NDIS funding will depend on your personal goals and needs—because no two journeys are the same.
In general, the NDIS funds supports that are directly related to your disability and help you live more independently and confidently. This can include things like:
It’s important to remember that the NDIS only funds supports that are considered reasonable and necessary and directly related to your disability. If you’re ever unsure about what’s covered—or want help making sense of it all—feel free to reach out. We are always here to talk things through:
The NDIS is a government-funded scheme that supports people under the age of 65 who have a permanent disability that significantly affects their daily life. The scheme is administered by the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA). It focuses on early intervention and personalised support, aiming to help participants achieve greater independence, community involvement, education, employment, and overall quality of life.
Supports funded by the NDIS fall into three main categories:
If you think you meet the criteria, contact us here at Navigate Your Way.
You’ll need to complete an Access Request Form and provide supporting documentation about your disability. This includes reports or letters from health professionals that describe your diagnosis, how your disability affects your daily life, and what supports you need.
Once your access is approved, the next step is a planning meeting with an NDIS planner or LAC. This is where you’ll discuss your goals and the types of supports you need. It’s important to prepare by:
Your NDIS plan is your personalised document that outlines your goals and the funding allocated to help you achieve them. It typically includes:
These might include learning new skills, finding employment, becoming more independent, or joining social groups.
Based on your needs, the NDIA will allocate funding under different support categories.
You’ll choose how your funding is managed. Your plan usually lasts 12 months, though some may be shorter or longer depending on your situation.
Your plan is built around your goals, so use your supports to actively work towards them. You might use capacity building funding for job coaching, speech therapy, or life skills programs. Core funding might support help with daily tasks or accessing your community.
Keep track of progress by:
Your plan is reviewed regularly (usually every 12 months). During a review, you’ll discuss what’s working, what’s not, and whether your goals or needs have changed.
If you’re unhappy with the outcome of your plan or a decision by the NDIA (such as funding allocation), you have the right to request:
Be clear, thorough, and persistent in advocating for your needs.
You can use NDIS funding to pay for supports and services that are:
This covers supports that help you pursue your goals, be more independent, take part in social activities and work, actively participate in your community, and enjoy life. So, this could include:
“As someone new to the NDIS, I initially found it overwhelming and frustrating to connect with the right supports. I tried a couple of Support Coordinators but never felt completely comfortable or supported. That changed when I discovered Navigate Your Way—and I’m so glad I did.
From my very first inquiry Nikki and Andrew responded promptly and professionally. Since then, I’ve relied on their services for a successful Change of Circumstance review and for all my support needs, including transport to allied health appointments, OT assessments, exercise physiology sessions, Dance for Parkinson’s classes, support groups, shopping trips, and countless medical appointments.
Navigate Your Way has become a trusted and essential part of my support network.”
Sydney NSW
It might sound like a lot to take in, but we’re here to make it easy for you. We’ll guide you through every step of the process. Get in touch today to see how we can help ease the burden for YOU to navigate the NDIS for a better outcome
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