Fill in our dedicated form to share your experience with the National Assistance Card.
Visit Form"Ever since I have had my National Assistance Card, I have a new-found freedom, independence and confidence."
“Last time I went [to the marathon], I got lost in the race precinct, had to ask security for help, panic attack and tears meant I ended up starting about 40 minutes late. It really affected my confidence."
"I was so nervous this year about getting to the start line but because I had my National Assistance Card in my running bag, I had the confidence to do it."
"Whilst my needs aren’t huge, if I fall I look like I’m drunk but at least with this Card, it will help people to understand and has details of not only my deficits but also my emergency contact details."
"The National Assistance Card makes my everyday life that much easier to handle!"
"If anyone looks at you, you can show them the Card straight away and it shows why you have a problem and how it can be overcome. It's just so much quicker than having to talk your way out of a situation - and on the back of the Card it has ways that people can assist you and who they can contact."
"Having the Card is very helpful, I am very conscious now that I am not embarrassed to say 'I have a brain injury and I can’t understand you, can you please speak slowly'. It has given me confidence to ask people to slow down."
"Having the Card, for me, just gives that added confidence to go about my daily life."
"The National Assistance Card has come in handy all over the place. Because of my slurred speech, I sometimes might appear drunk to some people - I've even used it in a bar once, where the Card has really helped me explain things."
"If you think that you need a National Assistance Card, then I'd say go for it - it continues to help me and I also think it's a really useful tool to help raise awareness about brain injury and other disabilities."
"If I get stuck I can hold up my Card and it says on the back 'here are the things I have trouble with' and 'here's how you can help'."
"I was in town last week and I was feeling quite overwhelmed. And I thought ‘I have my Assistance Card’ and actually just thinking that, and knowing that, made the feeling actually better and I didn’t feel as overwhelmed."
"It was like it fixed it without me having to use it… So I thought, ‘Oh, that’s cool'."
"Metro Tasmania is proud to support the National Assistance Card Service and is pleased to see the rollout of the Card to the autistic community in Tasmania."
"Metro’s primary focus is to deliver safe and accessible public transport services to all Tasmanians across our networks. We look forward to working with the National Assistance Card Service in upskilling our bus operators and customer service team around awareness of the Card and to equipping them with the capacity to appropriately respond when presented with a National Assistance Card."
"We want all Tasmanians to feel comfortable and confident in using our services and we are very pleased to support this great initiative."
"The National Assistance Card Service is a fantastic initiative to help our staff provide genuine and authentic support to our passengers."
"Hobart Airport is all about connecting communities and making sure everyone can feel safe and welcome at the airport. We recognise the challenges that people with disabilities face when travelling, and we’re committed to working to reduce these barriers."
"The National Assistance Card Service is a fantastic initiative to help our staff provide genuine and authentic support to our passengers. We look forward to helping to raise awareness in the local community so that everyone has the opportunity to support each other. It has been our privilege to work with the team in creating content to support this service."
"I was recently admitted into my local hospital for 10 days. Upon arrival at the Emergency Department, I was unable to speak. As I was in my work uniform, I had my ID and swipe card which also has my National Assistance Card with it too. The team was able to scan the QR code and read that I am a stroke survivor and may have difficulty communicating and understanding them. Because of this, the team was great in listening and taking care of me."
"I'm very confident that if a customer came into any of our offices and showed us a National Assistance Card, we would provide them with the additional time and support they may need."
"The National Assistance Card helps emergency service personnel administer appropriate assistance should they attend a situation where a person with disability has become distressed or overwhelmed."
"The Card allows the person to communicate their condition when they cannot otherwise do so."
"The meaning of this Card for my mother is the ability to have freedom. As carers, we are able to find that sense of not being so anxious when they leave the house. [The Card] gives us the ability to not stress and wonder and call every five minutes because we have that confidence.”
“I think that we need many tools in our lives. Many tools in our arsenal, so to speak, and the National Assistance Card is one of those tools. And I've found it very useful in facilitating some difficult conversations. And, useful just like a security blanket or a safety net.”