Welcome to our last newsletter for 2023.

The year ends on a high with the state and federal governments agreeing at National Cabinet to work together to improve the lives of people with disability, and the release of the NDIS Review final report and recommendations.

It is heartening to see the government has laid the foundations for the radical changes to the NDIS that are needed. See our perspective on the recommendations and what will happen next here.

Taken together, the NDIS Review and the Disability Royal Commission recommendations have the potential to transform disability housing. You can read more about this in my recent article in The Conversation here.

Our Annual Public Forum was also a highlight. About 860 people participated in the event with its focus on how home and living supports can be transformed to truly meet the needs of people with disability. The level of interest reflected the timeliness of the discussion. Read more here.

The event also saw the launch of our 2022/23 Annual Report – a comprehensive document that details the breadth of the work the Summer Foundation is doing.

Our own Dr George Taleporos continues to deliver timely and relevant in-depth discussions on all things NDIS in his Reasonable & Necessary podcasts. A recent coup was the episode when the NDIS Review co-chairs chose to talk to Dr George to reveal likely changes to the Scheme.

Bridget’s story of her journey to independent living and her work with the Summer Foundation shows the value of lived experience in everything we do.

On behalf of everyone at the Summer Foundation I hope you and your close others have a happy and safe Christmas and New Year.

Di Winkler, CEO and Founder

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NDIS Review final report – what next?

The NDIS Review final report was made public on 7 December. Overall the scope and scale of recommendations from the NDIS Review are welcome. The Review clearly articulated the design flaws. Change will not happen overnight.

Record-breaking attendance at Annual Public Forum

About 860 people participated in the Summer Foundation’s 10th Annual Public Forum on 2 November. This included 160 people who attended the forum in person and about 700 who were online to focus on how home and living supports can be transformed to truly meet the needs of people with disability.

UpSkill courses are now being delivered by the Housing Hub

As part of our continuous efforts to enhance and streamline our services, UpSkill training will now be delivered by the Housing Hub.

Tick for inclusive housing emphasis

The Summer Foundation welcomes the emphasis on inclusive housing in the Disability Royal Commission’s final report.

Highlighting our achievements

The 2022/23 Annual Report was launched on 2 November at the Annual Public Forum. The report shares highlights of the work we are doing to resolve the issue of younger people in aged care.

Dr George gets the big interviews

It’s been a big year for Reasonable & Necessary, with some extremely important conversations unfolding on Dr George’s podcast. Dr George has interviewed NDIS Review Co-chairs Bruce Bonyhady and Lisa Paul twice this year. He’s also interviewed Minister Bill Shorten, international disability expert Simon Duffy and former Disability Royal Commissioner Alaistair McEwan, to name a few.

Profile – Bridget Doyle

My name is Bridget Doyle. I’m 28 years old. I love going out for coffee, listening to music, walking my dog Lily, playing board games with friends and pottering around in my garden growing my own fruits and veggies.

Events round-up: Dec – Feb

The Summer Foundation and the Housing Hub, host a range of face-to-face and online workshops for a wide range of audiences Australia-wide.

Summer Foundation Focus – December 2023