or
"My name is Adam Sharpe and I am the Director of Pride Disability Services, I have worked in the disability sector for the last 24 years and in the last six and half years I have worked in the LGBTQI+ community, specialising as disability as a Service Provider.
Six months after officially opening up what was then known as GLBTDSS, I met an individual and we fell in love, however there was one problem, he had an intellectual and physical disability (being cerebral palsy) and our relationship was very much a taboo and we knew it so we challenged services and the mindset of others with great animosity and heartbreak however we were determined that nothing was going to break us apart.
After six years of fighting for rights, equality, diversity and the freedom to be in a same sex relationship, Connie and I were engaged and then married."
Why Pride Disability Services?
Sexual orientation and gender diversity have long been taboo subjects within the disability support sector. It has long been the stigma that individuals living with disability are non-sexual beings and any expressions of sexuality by them have been treated as sexual deviancy.
Pride Disability Services understands that ALL human beings have sexual needs and desires and that others struggle with their sexual and gender identities. The marginalisation suffered by LGBTQI+ individuals living with disability in particular is two fold.
We created Pride Disability Services as a safe space for all LGBTQI+ individuals living with disability to fully express who they are and be celebrated, connecting them with other like-minded individuals and support workers as well as the greater LGBTQI+ community as a whole.
Understanding LBGTQI+ needs
As an NDIS participant, accessing LGBTQI+ friendly services can be a difficult. Individuals are frequently mis-gendered or referred to by dead names. This can create a lot of undue stress, particularly as individuals with disability access these services on a daily basis. Pride Disability Services understands the importance of gender and sexual identity and advocates for this importance on your behalf as you navigate the many support services associated with living with disability.
At Pride Disability Services we are always focused on you. We are a dedicated team with lots of real-world experience and a long history of disability services. By taking the time to get to know you and understand your unique situation and specific needs, we help you to achieve what you want from your NDIS plan.
As your partners on this journey, it’s important to us that our relationship is built on trust. It’s this trust that our community has in us that means you will always feel a sense of safety and security.
Choosing to have your NDIS services managed by Pride Disability Services comes at no extra cost to you or your NDIS budget, so if you're a LGBTQI+ individual living with disability we'd love to hear from you!
Director's Testimonial