The National Assistance Card team exhibited at the Brisbane Disability Connection Expo 2025, and here are some highlights.
The expo took place at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre from 21-22 March. Over two days, the National Assistance Card team had many insightful and engaging conversations with people with disability, families, support workers, service providers, and allied health professionals about the benefits of the Card.
Featuring many entertainment activities for adults, families, children, carers and guardians, the event brought together over 6000 visitors with over 200 exhibitors.
Hearing from the community
The expo was a great opportunity to showcase the Card’s features, benefits, and real-life examples of how the Card works.
Over 100 attendees, including autistic people, people with brain injury and those who support them expressed their interest in the Card.
A mother of two autistic children shared that her kids are often misunderstood in public and perceived as misbehaving. She said the Card would help them avoid having to repeatedly explain their situation.
Several attendees noted that the Card would be helpful for non-verbal family members, especially in emergencies like car accidents, where first responders need to know if a condition was pre-existing rather than caused by the crash.
A carer for a person with dementia said that while the individual wanted to participate more in the community, dementia often made it difficult and that “the Card would be really good for her.”
We also took the opportunity to continue raising awareness about the different causes of brain injury, which include medical events such as strokes, brain haemorrhages, brain tumours, aneurysms, infections like meningitis or encephalitis, and progressive neurological conditions such as Dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, Multiple Sclerosis, and Motor Neuron Disease, in addition to traumatic brain injuries for example from falls and car crashes.
Card eligibility
The National Assistance Card is currently available to autistic people and people with brain injury. Many people at the expo expressed interest in the Card being made available to people with other disabilities and health conditions, including:
- Intellectual Disability
- Down Syndrome
- Mental illness
- Hearing impairment
- Vision impairment
- Neurological and neurodevelopmental disorders such as Cerebral Palsy, Rett Syndrome, and ADHD
One attendee with complex Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) shared, “The Card would be great to avoid repeating myself constantly and help with independence and communication in difficult times.”
We recognise this need and believe the Card could benefit many people with disabilities other than brain injury and autism. To help us apply for funding to make the Card available to more people, you can complete an EOI form here to tell us how you think the National Assistance Card would help you.
Connecting with Service Providers
Engaging with service providers was another key focus at the expo.
We spoke to a number of organisations that directly support people with disability and demonstrated how the National Assistance Card can be a valuable communication tool for their clients.
We also raised awareness with government services, including Services Australia and Queensland Rail, who welcomed the initiative and recognised the real benefits of the Card for both their clients and staff. The National Assistance Card team looks forward to exploring ways to work with these organisations to help their staff understand how to support cardholders.
Looking ahead
“The expo was a great success, allowing us to reach more people and receive valuable feedback on improving the service and expanding eligibility,” said Rosie, National Assistance Card Program Manager.
“We also know that raising awareness among businesses, services, and organisations is just as important. The more widely recognised the Card is, the more comfortable Cardholders will feel using it to access the support they need.”
Following the expo, our team is actively connecting with service providers, allied health professionals, peer support programs, individuals, and families to share information, resources, and guidance on how to apply for the National Assistance Card.
