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Tristram's NDIS journey
Join Tristram as he shares his personal NDIS journey in this witty and inspiring video series.
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What is Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA)?
"Plan Partners have been instrumental in helping me, they've been incredibly supportive of my sporting dreams and aspirations. I can continue doing all these things that I love because I've got my NDIS plan in good shape." Tristram, Aussie Powerchair Team and Plan Partners' Customer
Episode 14 - What is Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA)?
In this episode, Tristram shares the start of his SDA journey and explains how Specialist Disability Accomodation (SDA) works.
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Show Transcript
<p><strong>[00:00:00]</strong> Hi everyone, welcome to another episode of My NDIS Journey.</p>
<p><strong>[00:00:04]</strong> As we've discussed before, one of my key goals in my plan is to live independently, and the way I'm going to do that is through SDA.</p>
<p><strong>[00:00:16]</strong> SDA stands for Specialist Disability Accommodation.</p>
<p><strong>[00:00:20]</strong> It’s support from the NDIS that allows me to live independently in a home that is fully accessible for my needs.</p>
<p><strong>[00:00:30]</strong> The SDA and the NDIS supports are separate entities.</p>
<p><strong>[00:00:41]</strong> SDA funds the bricks and mortar of the home or unit you're moving into, while the NDIS funds the supports for you to live in that home.</p>
<p><strong>[00:00:50]</strong> To complicate things slightly, there’s another term — Supported Independent Living, or SIL.</p>
<p><strong>[00:00:57]</strong> SIL refers to the supports collectively within the place you're moving into, and we’ll cover that in another episode.</p>
<p><strong>[00:01:05]</strong> So how do you apply for SDA? I’ll share my personal example.</p>
<p><strong>[00:01:09]</strong> I saw a property listed by Summer Housing that was an SDA property and applied for it.</p>
<p><strong>[00:01:16]</strong> They gave me a conditional offer pending my approval for SDA eligibility.</p>
<p><strong>[00:01:22]</strong> My occupational therapist completed a housing plan application demonstrating why the property was suitable for me.</p>
<p><strong>[00:01:31]</strong> This included showing there were no other accessible properties in my area and that it aligned with my goals — where I wanted to work and socialise.</p>
<p><strong>[00:01:45]</strong> We submitted the application to the NDIS, and it went to the SDA panel for assessment.</p>
<p><strong>[00:01:50]</strong> It’s really beneficial to involve your OT, as they complete a functional assessment covering your daily living needs.</p>
<p><strong>[00:02:02]</strong> This provides strong evidence to support your application.</p>
<p><strong>[00:02:10]</strong> Another important person to involve is your Support Coordinator, if you have one.</p>
<p><strong>[00:02:13]</strong> They manage these processes regularly and can guide you through the next steps.</p>
<p><strong>[00:02:21]</strong> After reviewing your application, the SDA panel will provide an outcome — either positive or negative.</p>
<p><strong>[00:02:27]</strong> A positive outcome may approve different support ratios, such as one carer for three residents or one-to-one support.</p>
<p><strong>[00:02:40]</strong> If you’re unhappy with the outcome, you can appeal within a specified period and provide additional evidence.</p>
<p><strong>[00:02:58]</strong> It’s best to work with your OT and Support Coordinator when lodging an appeal.</p>
<p><strong>[00:03:01]</strong> In my case, the initial outcome wasn’t what I wanted.</p>
<p><strong>[00:03:05]</strong> I applied for a one-to-one property but was initially approved for a one-to-three ratio.</p>
<p><strong>[00:03:08]</strong> I appealed the decision and provided further evidence to demonstrate why the original outcome wasn’t suitable.</p>
<p><strong>[00:03:19]</strong> The appeal was successful, and I will be moving into my new home in the near future.</p>
<p><strong>[00:03:26]</strong> This is part one of the SDA process.</p>
<p><strong>[00:03:30]</strong> In a future episode, we’ll look at what’s involved in moving and the assessments required to ensure the home meets your needs.</p>
<p><strong>[00:03:46]</strong> For more information on SDA and eligibility, speak to your Support Coordinator, LAC, or planner.</p>
<p><strong>[00:03:53]</strong> You can also contact housing providers such as Summer Foundation for guidance.</p>
<p><strong>[00:04:00]</strong> Plan Partners will also be adding additional resources to their website soon.</p>
<p><strong>[00:04:07]</strong> Subscribe for more of My NDIS Journey, including updates on my move and other NDIS topics.</p>
<p><strong>[00:04:16]</strong> For more information on the NDIS and your journey, head to planpartners.com.au.</p>
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