Celebrating Three Incredible Years of the National Assistance Card

The National Assistance Card team are excited to celebrate the Card’s third birthday in December 2024.      

Over the past 12 months, we’ve remained committed to supporting people with disability while raising community awareness.  

Here are some highlights over the past year:

The Card's impact by numbers

This year, the number of National Assistance Card holders grew to 700! This milestone reflects the increasing need for and recognition of the Card as an important communication tool for people with brain injury and autistic people in everyday life.

How the Card is making a difference

Cardholders have told us the Card is making a positive difference in their lives. In an anonymous survey, 85% said their quality of life had improved since getting their Card. They reported feeling more confident (50%), having a better understanding of their disability (58%), finding it easier to communicate their needs (55%), participating more in the community (26%), and trying new things (24%).  

We are grateful to all the cardholders who shared stories of their experience with the Card with us.

When we spoke with Lizz Hills, an adventurer and environmental educator who undertook her incredible Trek2Reconnect journey with the National Assistance Card, she said:

"The National Assistance Card let me reintroduce the fact that I have a disability. The fact that sometimes I don't cope... It allowed that conversation to open up. It allowed me to share that sometimes life is really challenging simply because I have a brain injury, not only because of the rest of the stuff that we all have to deal with in our lives.” 

You can read Lizz’s full story here: Conversation with Lizz Hills: Trek2Reconnect and the National Assistance Card | National Assistance Card, Australia

Raising awareness of the Card  

The National Assistance Card can only be truly helpful with community support. Raising awareness about the Card in the wider community remains a key focus for our team as we move into the coming year.

Over the past year, we’ve connected with service providers, businesses, potential applicants, and cardholders through various activities. Highlights include hosting a stall at the National Brain Injury Conference in Adelaide and attending an International Day of People with Disability event in Hobart. These events have been valuable opportunities to share the benefits of the Card and how it supports people in the community.

Introducing the National Assistance Card Lanyard

Listening to our cardholders’ feedback, we’ve introduced the National Assistance Card lanyard. The lanyard will make it easier for cardholders to carry and access their Card wherever they go and show it to others when they need understanding or assistance.

More information on how to order your lanyard will be shared soon.

Express of interest (EOI) now open for autistic people across Australia

After launching the National Assistance Card for the autistic community in Tasmania in late 2022 in partnership with Autism Tasmania, the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. Many autistic cardholders have shared how the Card has helped them communicate their needs and feel more confident in public spaces.

“The Card means that in times when I may not be able to articulate my need for assistance, I will be able to present the Card to any trusted stranger and potentially get help and even understanding without having to explain what autism is and why I am behaving a certain way.”
Pen
Cardholder

Following this successful trial, the National Assistance Card team are excited to announce that the Card will be available to all autistic people in Australia in early 2025! We’re currently welcoming expressions of interest (EOI) from autistic people who live outside Tasmania. You can submit your EOI here.

Supporting “Larapinta: End to End”  

The National Assistance Card is proud to support “Larapinta: End to End”, an inspiring documentary following a team of adventurers on the breathtaking Larapinta Trail.  

The film had its world premiere on 1 October 2024 in Hobart.

This diverse group of trekkers, including National Assistance Card holders Paul Pritchard (author and adventurer living with brain injury) and Paul Allen (furniture designer and comedian living with brain injury), used their experiences to challenge perceptions and inspire others. The film captures the team's journey as they push both physical and mental boundaries, showcasing the power of resilience, teamwork, and community support.

Visit Paul Pritchard’s website to watch the film trailer and find out about future screenings here: www.paulpritchard.com.au

Looking Forward

The National Assistance Card team are looking forward to continuing to provide a practical communication tool that can assist people with disability. We hope to help foster a more accessible and inclusive community where everyone feels seen, heard, and supported.

For more information about who is eligible to apply for a National Assistance Card, visit: www.nationalassistancecard.com.au/eligibility