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A real people person
Meet Ayesha.
She’s one of the superstars at the APM Communities office in Mandurah, Western Australia.
In her role as a Community Development Officer with APM Communities, she’s making a remarkable difference for people living with disability.
APM Communities delivers NDIS Partners in the Community services in parts of Western Australia, Queensland, and the Northern Territory.
Local Area Coordinators (LACs) help people with disability, National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) participants, families, and carers to identify and access the support they need.
However, it wasn’t all smooth sailing to get to this point.
Ayesha is also legally blind - she lives with a visual impairment which as increased her blindness throughout her life.
“It’s made getting a job really hard because most people see a disability, instead of the amazing skills that I have” Ayesha said.
It’s exactly those skills which prompts her Team Leader Sam to describe her as “a fantastic representative for people with disability.”
Leader of Project Disco
Ayesha’s qualification in events gave her the skills that made her an ideal addition to the community development team.
She was one of the leaders in reviving a discontinued community disco event through the Project Disco working group.
The EasyBeatz disco has since sold out all three events, with over 200 people with disability, carers and loved ones attending.
“It’s an inclusive disco run at a local pub” Ayesha said.
She describes the deliberate choice of venue, “it’s not at an events hall, it’s actually out in public so people can see people with disabilities, and it’s created a lot of awareness.”
Ayesha is a passionate advocate, and a NDIS participant herself.
“You’re more than just your disability, just sit and look at your skills and you might have a lot of other qualities.”
“The world’s a bit scary, but if we’re all the same, then the world will be very boring.”