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About the Summer Foundation

We’re passionate about stopping young people with disability from being forced into residential aged care, by helping them access the support needed to be in control of where, how and with whom they live.

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I am a person with disability or close other.

I work with people with disability.

I want to find out about housing.

Summer Learning online training.

Research library

By researching the issues at each stage of the critical pathways that lead young people to aged care we can provide the evidence needed to create the systems change that will solve this problem.

Visit our Research Library

Resource library

Government relations and policy
People with disability and supporters

Moving out of a nursing home

If you’re a person with disability living in a nursing home, or a group home, it can be really hard to imagine moving somewhere else.

This resource shares stories from people with disability who have moved out a nursing home.

View the Housing Hub resource

UpSkill Provider Directory

Find support coordinators and allied health professionals who are right for you with the new UpSkill Provider Directory.

View the directory

Latest news and events

Summer 2021 news update

Posted on Monday 13 December, 2021
Welcome to our last edition for 2021. We celebrate the significant amount of critical work that has been done toward ending the need for younger people with disability to live in aged care; in what have been challenging circumstances over this past year.
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Million Dollar Vax impact

Posted on Monday 13 December, 2021
More than 2.7 million Australians entered the Million Dollar Vax campaign, which aimed to encourage COVID-19 vaccination and was promoted by the Summer Foundation.
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International Day of People with Disabilities logo

Media release: Australian Disability Strategy 2021-2031

Posted on Friday 3 December, 2021
The Summer Foundation is pleased to support the Australian Disability Strategy 2021-2031. The Strategy, launched today on the Disability Gateway, priorities the commitment to improve the lives of people with disability by all governments – Australian, state, territory and local.
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At the start it was hard for me to talk about myself, but I loved it, it gives you a chance to tell your story and help some people along the way.

— Daniel Black, a man who previously lived in RAC

Thanks for the Staying Connected page. I found it useful and uplifting to know we are all in this together and great to hear from other people and read their stories.

— Salote, a person with disability

It is great to attend training that is relevant and can be applied to work practice with knowledgeable facilitators.

— Bridie West, Support Coordinator

I had no confidence in my ability to support someone through this process [SDA] but now I know I can after yesterday’s training. Although it’s a time consuming task, you have shown us we all have the skills to do well at it.

— Lisa Davis, Support Coordinator

Adapting to the new COVID-19 normal

Adapting to the new ‘COVID-19’ normal is definitely challenging. Throughout  lockdown we have  encountered many obstacles and have all developed strategies to overcome these.

Lisa enjoying SDA life

Lisa moved into her own SDA apartment very recently and has shared her journey and thoughts about how she is enjoying life in SDA.

Dance of dependence – Liz’s poem

Liz shares through a poem her journey into her new SDA apartment.