Katherine and Andrew – disability support

My name is Katherine.

Although I began working in Aged Care, I worked alongside younger adults with disabilities.

During that time, the government program named NDIS was introduced and switching over into disability support felt natural to me.

I’m able to take on jobs as they come in, and also I can change my schedule if something unexpected happens.

It's flexible.

Back in Korea, ever since I was a little girl, I think I was always taught to help those in our community who needed it.

I think that helping one another out is ingrained in our culture, so it felt natural for me to want to help people.

Hello, it's nice to meet you. My name is Andrew and I am 27 years old, living in Glen Waverley in Victoria, Australia.

I immigrated to Australia and I was 9 years old. 

I suffered from various mental illnesses due to the language barrier and cultural differences.

I joined NDIS, the National Disability Insurance Scheme, last year, in 2020 after my parents’ final decision.

Since then I have experienced a lot of improvements and changes. I think that because we share the same culture, I can understand and communicate with him more proficiently.

While we paint together, we do more than just paint. We also listen and speak to each other, and I think that we are on the same wavelength.

When my clients laugh and look happy after spending time with me, I feel really glad.

I’m not exactly sure how I started feeling this way, but I feel like I am winning a prize every time they look happy, saying they were very amused by my visit or that they felt great spending time with me.

I would like to encourage people to approach their clients as if they are your friends and gradually get to know each other, identify their needs, and also share your talents or skills with them.

Maybe I can express it as 'going around together' in Korean.

So please think of it as if you are spending time with them, rather than looking after them.

It will allow you to enjoy your work much more and make money at the same time.

Katherine helps me to heal my wounded heart, and supports me to live independently.

She also dedicates herself to helping me achieve my dreams and goals.

Therefore, I believe that my bond with Katherine is the one of the biggest blessings in my life.