When living with a disability, completing daily tasks can be daunting. Daily tasks include personal care, cooking meals, cleaning the house, building social skills and transportation. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (June 2012), 87% of people with disabilities are restricted in carrying out at least one everyday activity. 

Supported Independent Living is a type of support service available that is funded by the NDIS. It is offered to people with a variety of different needs, but is best suited to individuals with disabilities who have higher support needs. This means individuals that require significant assistance at home, 7 days a week. 

While there are many support services that are tailored to individual needs, The Easy Read Toolbox can testify to the fact that disability can manifest in many ways, and that not everyone who struggles with independence qualifies for NDIS support. When discussing difficulty with independent living for people with disabilities, it is often in ways people without lived experience of disability would never think of. Something as commonplace as doing laundry can become a stressful task for those who live with disability or other forms of intersectionality. 

Using the example of doing the laundry, it may be difficult for someone with a vision impairment to see the dials on their washing machine, or be able to measure out the correct amount of laundry detergent. Someone with sensory issues may struggle with the strong scents used in many laundry products, and someone with mobility issues may be unable to carry a full laundry basket. 

These issues can be compounded by the fact that the majority of the time solutions, or even just information on the subject, are not accessible to those who need it. The Easy Read Toolbox strives to close this information gap associated with independent living and help build skills, particularly for those who may not qualify for at home support. 

Our upcoming Life Skills for Youth passion project is to provide Easy Read information on basic life skills targeted toward individuals aged 15-24 who live with disability or other forms of intersectionality. We will build information resources for each of the life domains, including interpersonal relationships, physical and mental health, employment and finance, education, and living environment. This is intended to increase confidence for young people who are interested in living out of home, or even those who just wish to become more independent. 

Everyone has the right to information that may help improve their quality of life. It is important to many people with disabilities to build independence with daily tasks, but resources to do so can be limited. The Easy Read Toolbox believes that by offering the information in accessible formats for those who need it most at pivotal developmental stages, we will be able to help encourage confidence in living more independently. 

By Meg Sonsbeek, for The Easy Read Toolbox.

[Image description: Drawing of items used for personal hygiene, including brush, toothbrush and toothpaste, razor, toilet paper, cologne and more. Artist: Taz.]

Sources: 

NDIS - Supported Independent Living Participants

SCOPE - Supported Independent Living

Australian Human Rights Commission - Human Rights

The Invisible Project - Disability and Doing Laundry