Benevolent Society Shares NDIS Info at Sydney Disability Expo

The Benevolent Society, Australia's first and oldest charity, and now the leading provider of disability services in Australia, will lead discussion groups on understanding the impact of the NDIS on people with disability and their families at the Sydney Disability Expo, 25-26 May, at the Sydney showground, Olympic Park, Homebush.

Taking part in the expo is an important part of sharing information on how to navigate the NDIS. Jo-Anne Hewitt, Executive Director Disability, The Benevolent Society, says understanding who provides what service, how it's done and what the NDIS provides can be  a difficult journey.

'One of the things we as an organisation does is explain the NDIS journey – how does it work, how it changes things. It can take up to a year to fully understand a change in service, or retention of service provider. The impact on the family can be as substantial as the impact on the person with the disability," says Jo-Anne.

'At the expo, we'll be holding panel discussions as well as question and answer information sessions on how to navigate the NDIS and how to make important decisions."

In the Sydney area, over 110,000 people with disability require support from disability service and product providers. As a result of the NDIS, Sydney residents with disability will gain greater control over their lives and the services they choose to meet their support needs. Central to the NDIS rollout is that people living with disability have access to the most up to date and relevant information available and that they are connected to the services and supports that meet their needs to live in and be active members of the community.

The Sydney Disability Expo is Sydney's largest disability expo, an initiative of 4community with support from Parramatta City Council, the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) and the Australian Government's National Disability Coordination Officer (NDCO) Program. Over 3,000 people are expected to attend over two days. Sydneysiders have the opportunity for quality face-to-face time with service providers like The Benevolent Society, as well as government agencies and advocacy groups. They'll have the chance to test drive the last technology, aids and equipment.

The Benevolent Society team, including Jo-Anne Hewitt, Danny Burgess and Tina McManus will participate in a panel and question and answer session on Saturday, 26 May, 2018 at 11am.

The expo is at the South EE complex near the ANZ Stadium, 1 showground Road, Olympic Park, Homebush