The University of the Sunshine Coast is set to tackle a critical gap in support for people with disability during some of the most challenging times in their lives.
The new UniSC-led research project will focus on improving safety and support when people with disability move through major life transitions.
These can include being discharged from hospital, being released from jail, moving into or out of homelessness, or times when support services stop working.
UniSC occupational therapist and principal investigator Associate Professor Michèle Verdonck said people with disability were often at greater risk during these times, particularly those living in regional and rural areas and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples with disability.
Associate Professor Michèle Verdonck
In partnership with community organisation The Third Place Community, the 12-month project will aim to identify where existing support systems fall short and propose practical solutions to address them.
“We’ll be drawing on the experience of people with disability to identify the heightened risks they face during major life transitions,” Dr Verdonck said.
“This project has grown from a need identified by a community in Coonabarabran in regional New South Wales, and we’ll be working together to come up with ways support services could provide a more coordinated response.
“We’re aiming to develop a practical framework to help local communities and support services work together more effectively and ultimately improve the safety of people with disability.”
The project has received almost $200,000 in funding from the National Disability Research Partnership (NDRP), which supports research shaped and led by people with disability.
It is among 19 projects across Australia selected to share $5 million in the NDRP’s latest funding round, which is backed by a Federal Government grant.
Dr Verdonck will collaborate with UniSC colleague Adjunct Professor Denise Wood AM and The Third Place Community founder Ty Hardin on the research project.
