Disability

Supporting those living with disability to achieve their goals.

The Foundation supports and empowers those living with disability and communication disorders to lead the life they wish to live. The Foundation has a particular focus on communication disorders and helping ensure every person has the ability to effectively communicate. This includes investment in expanding access to telerehabilitation services and services for those with aphasia, as well as programs providing communication aids for children with complex needs and opportunities for social inclusion.

BFF support helped SCOPE create the KidsChat program, focusing on assisting children with complex communication needs. The program provides parents, carers and speech pathologists with a variety of communication aids, practical advice, and guidance on accessing support through the NDIS, as well as one-on-one family consultations throughout Victoria. The program is now a core component of SCOPE’s services. BFF has provided support for other social inclusion and accessibility programs operated by Scope including Go Kids mobility services and Tools2Talk, an app enabling parents and supporters to create tailored communication aids.

The Queensland Aphasia Rehabilitation Centre brings clinicians researchers, support groups, professional groups and consumers together to optimise the lives of people affected by stroke and with complex rehabilitation needs. The Aphasia Centre is part of the Herston Health Precinct in Brisbane, due to open in 2021. BFF is proud to support the creation of the first dedicated aphasia rehabilitation centre in Australia, which will provide innovative and collaborative approaches to the treatment of aphasia.

A BFF gift helped the University of Queensland establish Australia’s first Telerehabilitation Clinic. Established in 2015, the clinic provides speech, audio, occupational therapy and physiotherapy services to local, rural and regional patients. It also provides allied health students with skills and expertise to deliver telehealth services. There are now 11 locations providing services in Queensland and many hundreds of allied health students now trained in telehealth delivery. Thousands of people are now accessing services previously unavailable to them.