David ready to have a go with NDIS

With his casual wit and knack for the mechanical, Bundaberg’s David Barrett has been a busy man his whole life.

Three months before his 18^th birthday, David suffered a serious spinal injury swimming at Bargara, which left him with only limited use of his upper body. Learning to live with C7 quadriplegia was a challenge, but not one beyond David’s ability.

He adapted to his situation, learning to drive, navigate his home and provide for himself all over again. David maintained his passion for cars, continuing to service his own vehicles for decades and building up a considerable collection of tools and equipment for his shed, which he modified to suit himself.

It has been 40 years since the accident. Today, David is independent, with a circle of friends who live locally. He cares for his mother and takes his dog, Goober, out for a walk most days along Elliott Heads Rd.

“It’s like what the cannibal who kept bringing his breakfast up said: ‘you can’t keep a good man down,’” he joked.

“And you always get a bit of help from your friends. It’s that give and take that makes it work.”

 When the NDIS first came to Bundaberg, David was hesitant to make full use of it, and spent his first plan learning how the new system would operate.

Having just completed his first review, he said he was ready to consider expanding his supports to include a support worker, for the first time in his life.

“I’ve never had personal assistance, housekeeping and such like. But it’s something that’s in the pipeline at the moment.”

If you are looking for support navigating the NDIS, contact your Local Area Coordinator for the Bundaberg region – IWC – on 1300 492 492.

Alternatively, you can visit IWC at 184 Barolin St (Monday-Friday), Isis Cultural Centre in Childers (Tuesday-Wednesday) or the Youth Activity Centre in Gin Gin (Wednesday-Thursday).