by Dr Gillean Hilton

History and Scope

The Living Well Project, launched in late 2020 and supported by an Information, Linkages and Capacity Building (ILC) grant, aimed to create sustainable, peer-led programs for people with SCI or similar physical disability across Australia.

The project was developed as a partnership between AQA and Skills for Independence Ltd, an organisation that designs and implements peer-led training and courses for people living with complex physical disability. The purpose was to enhance life outcomes for people with physical disability by providing opportunities to build the practical skills and confidence needed to engage with their communities, and achieve personally meaningful goals.

Key activities included the establishment of the Lived Experience Advisory Panel (LEAP) for guidance and insight, delivering tailored half-day skills sessions and workshops (such as wheelchair skills and wheelchair maintenance), delivering multi-day Skills for Independence (SFI) courses and facilitating peer-led training programs to create future peer trainers and peer leaders.

The program also had a strong focus on organisational capacity building, enhancing AQA’s own capacity as well as building partnerships with other organisations and creating frameworks for continued delivery of impactful peer-led support.

Impact Overview

The project successfully reached 234 people with disability, supported 211 family members or carers, and employed 11 peer trainers. Of the surveyed participants, 90% reported positive outcomes. Many participants were inspired to pursue further activities, including returning to work, engaging in regular physical exercise, and improving family communication.

Three key outcomes:

1. Enhanced organisational capacity within AQA to fulfil its mission, evidenced by strengthened ties with the SCI community and increased ability to deliver tailored peer-led support.

2. Strengthened skills and confidence among participants, widening horizons of what was seen as possible.

3. Increased community participation, recognition of ability to contribute, sense of belonging, and independence among participants.

Legacy and Key Learnings

The project leaves a strong legacy in the form of a scalable and adaptable peer-led model that can be expanded to other regions and tailored to different disability groups. The development of new peer trainers created a sustainable structure for ongoing program delivery.

Future scalability and success will rely on:

• Continued peer leadership development: Ongoing investment in training peer leaders will be essential to maintain quality and relevance.

• Local adaptation and partnerships: Close collaboration with local organisations will be crucial to maintain partnerships and tailor the program to the unique needs of various communities.

• Diverse funding streams: Securing additional funding sources, including corporate sponsorships and philanthropic support, will be necessary to sustain program delivery, especially for individuals outside NDIS coverage.

The Living Well Project’s design and execution emphasise the importance of empowering local communities and building strong, sustainable partnerships, offering a robust model for broader disability inclusion and community engagement.

THANK YOU

I would like to thank everyone involved in making this project so successful and impactful. It’s offered growth, joy, connection and learning to participants, peer trainers and the project team. 

I’d like to offer special thanks to AQA’s Larnie Ball, who’s poured years of dedication and talent into coordinating and delivering a project that’s touched so many lives.