By Oliver Lees
As the founder of a new disability support service in the Macedon Ranges, Jessie James has a clear vision of how she wants to give back to her community.
“I know that people with a disability can feel isolated, and recently that’s something that everyone can relate to with our experience of living in lockdown,” Mrs James said.
“I think that’s a big thing to come from recent events – an understanding that everyone needs someone to look after them, someone on your side who’s there to give you a hand. Often that’s especially needed for people with disabilities.
“There seems to be a gap in our area of finding appropriate workers for people with disabilities.
“I want to provide a service that feels more family-oriented, to help people with those everyday things that most of us take for granted.”
Mrs James’ Illuminate Support Services has now been up-and-running for four months.
Drawing on her personal experience in social work and disability support work, the business is currently focused on providing assistance to clients on the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).
Working with a small team, Illuminate’s suite of services are currently focused on the domains of in-home support, community access and community participation.
In August, Star Weekly reported that Sunbury and Cobaw Community Health’s community connections manager Carly Visscher had identified lack of transport as the “number one barrier to good quality healthcare” for people with disabilities.
Mrs James said she was eager to spread the word that her services were available to those in-need.
Details: www.illuminatesupportservices.com.au
