“I waited 12 months before I got SDA in my plan.”
“The impact of waiting made me retreat further into my shell and I wasn’t really living the life of someone in their 20’s.”
JAMIE-LEE
Hi, my name is Jamie-Lee Dwyer and I’m a 31-year-old woman who lives in Brisbane, Queensland. I was diagnosed with a rare, genetic, neuromuscular condition called Friedreich’s Ataxia when I was 11 years old. Due to the progression of my condition, I am now fully wheelchair bound, and have lost the ability to do most of my daily routine on my own.
I spent most of my life at home with my family, before I made the choice to move into a group home. I wanted to move out of home as a 26-year-old woman because I wanted a chance to live my life independently. Growing up I’ve always dreamt of living on my own but struggled before the NDIS made SDA a reality.
I waited 12 long months for SDA approval from the NDIS. During this time, I went into a downward spiral of depression, and no one or nothing could pull me out of it.
Since moving into my own SDA apartment, my mental health has improved drastically, and life has only grown busier and busier. When I was living in a facility, I couldn’t explore my full potential on group-home terms. My world opened because the NDIS introduced SDA.