Today, people with disability, especially NDIS participants, are experiencing more stability and certainty in their support plans and budgets, and increasingly starting to exercise choice and control over who provides their services.
As Robert De Pasquale recently discovered as an NDIS support coordinator with Be Able Australia you can have a trip of a lifetime like he had onboard The Ghan. The trip was funded through his NDIS plan under STA, otherwise known as Short Term Accommodation.
“I am an avid cruiser, but because of Covid-19, have not been on a cruise for almost two years. Still, when one door closes, another one opens. To say I was converted from sea to land is an understatement, but I will be going back on a cruise again when we can,” he told Link.
“If you are a wheelchair user or have a disability, The Ghan is the best way to see Australia’s famous Red Centre, one of the most celebrated wildernesses in the world. This all-inclusive twonight, three-day journey took me to the centre of this incredible country, from Adelaide to Darwin, passing through Alice Springs on the way.
“I was a bit sceptical before boarding because I was advised that I wouldn’t be able to use my manual wheelchair as the corridors were too narrow. However, to my surprise, I was situated in the perfect position ‘Gold Class’! My cabin was directly next to the next carriage where there was a bar and restaurant,” he said. The restaurant was the only place onboard where he needed to transfer to a small wheelchair that would fit down the aisle next to the restaurant tables.
Some of the highlights were:
• Watching the sunrise in Marla
• Riverboat cruise on the Katherine Gorge
• Reptile and Aboriginal Conservation Park in
Alice Springs
• Spending the day in Darwin at Crocosaurus
Cove.
All his transportation needs were looked after by Journey Beyond and he was given Cabcharge vouchers to and from each excursion.
To find out more about how you can utilise STA and get on a trip of a lifetime onboard Journey Beyond’s four luxurious trains (The Ghan, Indian Pacific, The Overland, and Great Southern), contact support@BeAbleAustralia.com.au.