Community access involves supporting people with disabilities to take part in everyday life in ways that are meaningful and valued. The NDIS signals a clear move away from outdated ideas of providing “care”, to providing support from a human rights-based perspective, that enables and empowers people to live the life they choose. While this is the key to all support work, you can also build more expertise and specialisation in this work.

Specialising in this work requires skills and experiences to build another person’s capacity and confidence to pursue, maintain and expand their interests and connections. The role will look different for every person and provider. Organisations may specialise in working with participants with particular needs, such as working with Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander participants, people from different cultural background, children and their families, people in the LGBTIQA+ community, people who are or are at risk of homelessness, to name just a few.

Organisations might also specialise in working with people requiring particular types of support, such as recovery-oriented support to manage a psychosocial disability, or support people with intellectual disabilities. This work is also about challenging assumptions and attitudes as well as practical barriers that limit or prevent people with disability from being recognised, respected and able to contribute to all aspects of life – social, economic, political and cultural.

This work can also provide meaningful opportunities to use your own lived experience – you may share the experience of being part of a particular community or live with a disability which places you in a unique position to understand the barriers a person may be facing, as well as provide real, authentic inspiration and encouragement through your own experience.

Becoming an expert in supporting connection and participation is not tied to a single role in the disability sector. It is at the heart of the capabilities in the NDIS Workforce Capability Framework.  Deepening your interest in this work will depend on the particular aspect of work that interests you. Choose additional capabilities relevant to the area you want to focus on:

• Be responsive to my Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander identity
• Be responsive to my culturally and linguistically diverse identity
• Be responsive to my LGBTIQA+ identity
• Support me with my experience of trauma
• Support me with my complex, challenging or changing social circumstances

There are no standard qualifications for this work given the diversity of needs and expertise these roles require. It is a good idea to search for positions you would be interested in, to see if there are any additional qualifications required. If you are interested in doing further study, you could choose training to build on your own personal experience, such as the Certificate IV in Mental Health Peer Work. You may also be interested in further study in areas such as human rights and social justice or you could explore qualifications in community work, advocacy or social work. These are just a few ideas about further learning.

This work could also lead you to further study in a related professional health or allied health field to build your knowledge and expertise to work with people who require these particular types of support.

The best outcome from supporting a person to build or strengthen their connections and networks is that they no longer need your support. Knowing when to let go is an essential quality for doing this work well.

You are more likely to do well in supporting a person to be included with the people and activities that interest them when you share similar interests.

You could explore opportunities to work with a Disability employment services (DES) if you are interested in supporting participants to find a job and in providing advice and support to employers.

Support coordinators play an important role in supporting and promoting connection and participation. You may also want to look at this option.

You may also be interested in exploring related opportunities outside the NDIS such as disability advocacy. This work involves representing and advocating for people with disability. Depending on the nature of advocacy, you may require legal capabilities and/or qualifications.

• NDS | Community inclusion initiative
• NDS | Community participation in action