I have been thinking a lot about what it is that I want. It is not that hard for me because I know what I want, the problem is getting the chance to do it. I can’t do what I want at a day centre for people with disabilities but I can get people here to help me to do the things that are important to me. CHRIS’S
CHRIS’S STORY
I have been thinking a lot about what it is that I want. It is not that hard for me because I know what I want, the problem is getting the chance to do it. I can’t do what I want at a day centre for people with disabilities but I can get people here to help me to do the things that are important to me.
I got Berrin from Milparinka to help me to work out a Support plan so that I could tell Milparinka what I wanted them to help me with. We talked about what I value and what is important to me in my life. For me that is making a difference in my community and with other people. There are lots of things that I want to do such as being an active member of my community , I want to have a role that allows me to help people, I would like more opportunities to help sick or elderly people. For example at the local nursing home or the hospital, giving patients a drink, giving them a magazine or getting things for them, I want to work closely with people who are leaders in our community, such as Bronwyn Pike, a government minister, I want to make changes that will help others in the community, for example getting the footpath fixed, I want to go to more meetings with the council, so I can let people know what needs to be fixed in our community.
Some of these things I can do already on my own and some others I can do with a bit of assistance. I am working through many of these things and am starting to do more and more. I have a job as a volunteer at Bronwyn Pike’s office, I am a member of the Club Wild Committee, I often raise issues with the council about things like paths being broken and I have had them fix a lot of things in the streets around the Milparinka site in Brunswick and I am currently looking for a volunteer role in a Nursing home near where I live.
Bronwyn Pike has retired but because of my experience with her I quickly got another job in another politicians office closer to home.
What I do know is that somehow I ended up in a disability day service which doesn’t make sense to me. I don’t want to be in groups doing things like going shopping and cooking. I want to be doing the things that are important and interesting to me, just like other people do. It shouldn’t be that hard. What I have learnt over the past couple of years is that I can make things happen by saying “I want” instead of what do you have that I can do. When I say I want, people listen and I get to work with Bronwyn Pikes office, get things fixed and be around people that I like being with.
I am going to keep telling people what I want and working with people at Milparinka so that I can get to do more things that make sense to me. One day I will, maybe still with a different type of help from Milparinka, not come into the centre at all. That would make sense to me.
Update – Chris has moved on from Milaprinka and has become a home owner. He attends another Day Service where he is invloved in Groups programs like woodwork and cooking.
