Explore Community Participation With Maple
Maple Community Services provides a wide array of services to people living with disabilities and others requiring assistance or support. Among these services, they assist people with activities of daily life including household chores, mobility, personal hygiene, and much more. An often overlooked and underappreciated aspect of support and care is facilitating community participation.
Community participation means active involvement in the area we live. Connecting to others, participating in shared activities, and helping your community to flourish with the help of supportive services are essential to our well-being as individuals, as well as to our community as a whole.
Don’t let living with a disability hold you back no matter what daily challenges you face. Everyone has something to give and something to get from being a part of a larger community. Finding new ways to express yourself or learning new skills can enhance Australia’s social capital, improve the community’s diversity, and break down stereotypes and stigmas.
What is Community Participation?
Socialising and mingling is not everyone’s cup of tea, but regardless of an individual’s disability or access limitations, Community Participation can improve and teach healthy behaviours and attitudes, independence, and even shape personalities. By finding ways to participate in society, people experience less anxiety, improved mental health, and ultimately are able to live more fulfilling lives.
Community Participation is a funded support category that may be included in your NDIS plan under Core Supports. It is a type of funding to help those living with disabilities to participate in the community through activities that build skills and independence. This support can include attending community-based and recreational activities and assistance to participate in social groups. These activities can take place in a range of locations including community centres, parks, or sporting venues.
Maple Community Services can work with you and help connect you with the opportunities you need to participate in your community from activities, trips, sports and events. Assistance with Social and Community participation NDIS funding is designed to help break down some of the barriers that people living with disabilities may face when they participate in society.
Why is Community Participation Important?
Due to the access limitations that some people experience living with a disability, it can prove difficult to get out and about which can be lonely and even debilitating. Social and community participation is important because it can boost a person’s confidence, independence, improve their mental and physical health, and improve their overall well being. By sharing our lives with others, we can celebrate our humanity, share in collective goals, learn from each other, and broaden our mindset.
In addition to this, community participation encourages community members, establishments, transport links, and other organisations to create inclusive spaces and mobility for those living with disabilities.
Addressing and encouraging community interaction and working to empower the community to include those living with disabilities has shown to have many significant benefits:
- Improve behaviours and attitudes of those within the community.
- Boost self confidence and personality of those living with disabilities.
- Reduce longer-term care and support resulting in reduction of costs.
- Improve the economy and diversity in the workplace and community.
- Create better networks and break stereotypes.
What Are Examples of Community Participation?
The NDIS Assistance with Social and Community Participation funding can support you to:
- Attend personal development courses
- Join a social group
- Take an outing or a holiday
- Go on a holiday camp
- Visit your local library
- See a movie or a concert
- Go to community events
- Participate in recreational activities
- Build skills through learning new things
- Join a sporting club or similar activities
The funding can also go towards a social worker hired on an hourly rate who can assist you with any of the above activities.
What Does Community Participation Funding Cover?
This type of NDIS funding is likely to cover costs associated with getting you to and from the activities and participating in them rather than the cost of the activity itself. For example, if you want to learn a new skill at the local college, your funding will help you pay a social worker to transport you; attend with you; get the most out of your class with communication support; or assistance with completing activities, using the bathroom, eating, or other personal care requirements while you are participating.
Do I Qualify For Community Participation Services Under the NDIS?
The NDIS considers many factors before deciding on available funding for your individual needs. The support service needs to be reasonable and necessary to help you achieve your goals, purpose, and aspirations.
Community Participation is covered under the NDIS‘ funding for Assistance with Social and Community Participation. The specifics of your NDIS plan will determine how you can use the available funds, whether they’re considered Core Supports, Capacity Building, or Capital Funding. If you’re not sure if your needs fall under this category, we can help you clarify with the NDIS exactly what is and isn’t covered under your personalised plan.
How Do I Access Maple Community Participation Services?
If you want the help of Maple’s Community Participation support services, get in touch with us online, by phone, or in person. We can meet with you, help assess your needs and what’s covered and available to you under the NDIS, and then connect you with the right people. Together, we’ll create a plan that works for you to get you out and about when and where you want to participate in the community to achieve your goals.