Steven Ralph was in his twenties when a spinal-cord injury saw him seeking out supported accommodation and being presented with nursing homes. Here, Steven shares how he found his way to living independently and a future full of potential.
I hadn’t planned to spend the majority of 2018 inside a rehabilitation hospital. However, after severely injuring my spinal cord, that’s where I ended up. As the extent of the damage became known, a storm of uncertainty rolled in around everything in my life. I couldn’t even begin to imagine how things might pan out in the long term.
As the weeks went on, the dust settled on what my body was willing to give me back. My focus turned to the future and, guided by my physical capability, therapy team and financial budget, I began the process of plotting out what life looked like in my new body. How would I fit into my community, and what did my future home look like?
Given my circumstances and injury, there were no obvious places for me to live once I left hospital. In my working life I’d only ever rented properties. Before being injured, I’d recently moved to Western Australia and was living in a share house. That move accompanied a new role within the company I was working at – a role that I was no longer physically able to do. All my family and most of my friends were on the east coast, so it made sense to find a home close to my support network.
This process took me and my family down a rabbit hole of largely undesirable scenarios. We considered all of my options, including nursing homes, with me at the ripe age of 26.
The rental market is not friendly to anybody, particularly when you are looking for somewhere with full wheelchair accessibility. We looked all over Sydney and made enquiries with countless real estate agents. On the odd occasion that we found somewhere that looked somewhat suitable, someone else would snatch it up.
Other suggestions included privately funding a hotel for medium-term accommodation while we made alternative arrangements at long-term respite centres. This was out of our budget - and we were almost out of options.
Unfortunately, stories like mine are not uncommon for people living with disability. Many of us are struggling to find appropriate supported accommodation. Countless Australian families are at a loss, with no certainty for the future of their loved ones, due to a lack of accessible housing.
Back when I was injured, the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) was a relatively new concept - and it was entirely new to me and my family. Eventually, we heard about a branch of the NDIS which could be made available to certain participants plans, called ‘specialist disability accommodation’, or SDA.
This gave me something to work towards. I now had hope of living independently in a suitable home – one that would allow me to pursue goals in my career, family and social life.
The journey through the process of applying for SDA funding, however, was extremely long, in-depth, technical and, at times, confusing.
I would encourage anybody embarking on this application process to find a reputable organisation, dedicated to understanding the needs of NDIS clients and their desires to live an independent life, to consult with them on this process. With the right resources and support, there are ways and means towards achieving independence and a lifestyle that suits you.
I’m now happily renting and living in an SDA apartment where I’m able to work from home effectively, access the community, and safely store my modified vehicle. With a solid home base, I now have the mental capacity to plan for the future - not just to get through each day.
My hopes for the SDA space are to see further investment into accessible housing and a more streamlined process for applicants to assessed suitable properties for their needs. If anyone would like to reach out to discuss this process, I’d be more than happy to offer assistance.
You can reach Steve via email.
Get in touch with Hireup’s dedicated Individualised Living Options (ILO) services team today, or learn more about it here.
Steven Ralph
Steven Ralph is a tech entrepreneur and brand expert who is passionate about removing barriers for people with accessibility requirements. As an advocate and mentor for community groups and individuals living with spinal cord injury, his vision is to create a future that is inclusive and accessible for everyone.