There comes a time in most young people’s lives where they want to leave home, find a career and become more immersed in their social lives in an independent way. While this can often be a natural progression for most, many people with disabilities can come across obstacles that make the experience a struggle and, in many cases, impossible.

There is information available to people who are seeking to transition into the next stages of their lives, however in many instances there is a need to search far and wide for each route you are wanting to take. In addition to all the inquiring involved, there are often gaps within services available that can create blocks along the way and therefore causing the process to become evermore confusing and tiresome.

YES Disability Resource Centre has been working closely with young people who have disabilities in order to co-create a project that pin-points many of the areas of life that were confusing or difficult to access. We also investigated what services were in demand yet do not currently exist to explore what opportunities may be available to bring such services to life. What resulted from speaking with these young people was a project named Platform.

Platform is aimed towards bringing relevant information together in an easier to access manner. This ensures that there is no need to rush around wondering where to go next for the missing parts of the information. As well as having all information in once easy access point, we also have mentors or buddies who can team up with others and share their experiences of finding ways around accessible homes, getting employment as well as navigating their community independently and being involved within their social networks. We are excited about the new avenues that open as a result of Platform.