Beck Egan, Inclusive Housing Australia's (IHA) Customer Engagement Officer, recently sat down with one of our happy customers, Joanne to talk about her Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) experience with IHA.
Approximately two years ago, Joanne had a fall which resulted in a spinal cord injury. Joanne’s injury has meant that she requires specific accommodation designed to meet her needs, facilitating the independent lifestyle she desires.
The IHA team worked closely with Joanne, her husband Tom and Support Team, to move Joanne & Tom into a two-bedroom fully accessible SDA apartment.
Modifications to the property were required prior to the move to assist Joanne to live independently and comfortably. One of the changes included modifications to the kitchen cupboards to enable Joanne to be able to make herself a cuppa when she pleased. Joanne was thrilled to be able to make her first cup of coffee on her own within a couple of days of her moving in. Her confidence grew and soon she was making cups every day!
Joanne is enjoying the difference her new home is making for her lifestyle and that it enables her to still access assistance from various support agencies whilst maintaining her privacy and independence at the same time.
Since their move, IHA have continued to support Joanne and Tom, whilst working towards Joanne’s next goal of accessing the community independently with the installation of an automatic front door opener. Joanne is very excited about the next stage of her SDA journey and the increased independence it will bring:
“Once I get that front door, I’ll be out of here! To the coffee shops, up to the supermarket, holidays!” (Joanne, IHA Client)