Transition planning resource

Understanding your rights, laws that protect you, voting options and finding legal help.

Voting

From the Australian Electoral Commission:

• Easy read guides about elections and referendums
• Voting and election resources and services to help people with a disability or mobility restrictions
• How to enrol to vote if you are unable to sign your name
• How to remove someone from the electoral roll

Laws that protect you

• Capacity toolkit
  Understanding a person's capacity to make legal, medical, financial and personal decisions
• Anti-Discrimination NSW
  Learn what discrimination is, rights to fair treatment and how to get help
• Guardianship orders
  Guardians can make decisions about a person’s health, accommodation, services or other lifestyle matters
• Confidentiality in healthcare
  How your information stays private in health services

Legal support

From Legal Aid NSW:

• Disability legal support service
• Legal support and services for young people

Other resources:

• How to apply to appoint a financial manager and/or guardian in NSW
• Intellectual Disability Rights Service
  Free legal support and advocacy for people with intellectual or cognitive disabilities
• Welfare Rights Centre
  Legal help with social security and family law or Centrelink issues
• Youth Law Australia
  Free legal advice for young people under 25

Expressing your needs, using communication tools, understanding your choices and finding advocacy groups.

Advocates and advocacy groups

• Office of the NSW Advocate for Children and Young People (ACYP)
  Learn about your rights in making choices
• Children and Young People with Disability Australia (CYDA)
• Council for Intellectual Disability (CID)
• Disability Advocacy Network Australia (DANA)
• Department of Social Services Disability Advocacy
• Multicultural Disability Advocacy Association (MDAA)
  Support for people with disability from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds

Support groups and resources

• Chronic Illness Peer Support (ChIPS)
  Peer support program for young people with chronic illness receiving care through the Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network
• Guide Dogs NSW/ACT
  Services and resources for people with low vision or blindness
• Deaf Connect
  Auslan classes, interpreter bookings, NDIS support, and resources for deaf, deafblind and hard-of-hearing communities
• Neurodivergent young people (ReachOut Australia)
  Information and support including guidance on autism, ADHD, wellbeing and self-advocacy

A directory of resources for LGBTIQ+ young people and their family and carers.

Finding support for family, friends and carers.

For all carers

• Carer Gateway
  Free services and support for anyone caring for a family member or friend with a disability, chronic illness or mental illness
• Carers NSW
  Support and advocates for carers in NSW
• Service NSW
  Support options for carers in NSW, including concessions, respite, and wellbeing programs

Caring for children with additional needs

• MyTime
  Peer-support groups and resources for parents and carers of children with additional needs

Young carers

• Young Carer Program (Carers NSW)
  Support for young carers (under 25) including counselling, peer groups and financial help
• Livewire
  An online community for young people with serious illness or disability and their siblings
• Siblings Australia
  Information, workshops and peer support for siblings of people with disability or chronic conditions

Mental health carers

• Mental Health Carers NSW
  Information, advocacy and support for people caring for someone with a mental illness

Finding Aboriginal Health Services, programs and supports.

• Aboriginal community controlled health organisations
  Find your nearest Aboriginal Health Service
• Aboriginal Legal Service (NSW/ACT)
  Free legal support and advocacy for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
• Closing the Gap Program for Cheaper Medicines
  Find out about the PBS co-payment program for eligible people
• 715 Health Check
  Aboriginal people can see their GP for a free health assessment every year
• Services for Aboriginal people and communities in NSW
  Directory of services for health, education, communities and businesses

Finding the health services you need.

• Finding a GP and getting a referral plus videos
• Finding a GP fact sheet (PDF)
• Healthdirect
  Find doctors, health and mental health services across Australia and reliable health information and symptom checkers
• Medicare Mental Health
  Find mental health support that is right for you
• Friendly Faces
  Provides country people with information about city health services
• NSW Health Mental Health Line
  24/7 statewide phone service that links people with NSW Health mental health services
• Virtual care: is it right for me and my family?
  Learn about virtual care and when it can be used

Getting your medical information, setting up emergency contacts and tools to help communicate with people.

Accessing your information

• My Health Record (digitalhealth.gov.au)
  How to keep and see your health information and records

Setting up emergency contacts

• How to set emergency contacts and medical info on your smartphone
  Instructions for iPhone and Android

Tools to communicate

• Admission2Discharge Together
  Tool to support people with disability or chronic conditions express their needs in hospital
• My Health Cards
  Easy-read picture cards to help people with intellectual disability talk about their health and prepare for appointments. Also supports communication with doctors, family and carers
• My Health Matters Folder
  Easy-read folder to improve communication between people with an intellectual disability, supporters and health workers
• Say Less, Show More
  Tools for people to express choices without words
• Top 5 tool for carers
  Tool for carers to share important information about the person they care for

Finding disability support workers, healthcare services, assessments and services.

From the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS):

• How NDIS can provide funding for disability support
• Support when someone on an NDIS plan is in hospital

Information, support and services

• Disability Gateway
  Information and support for people with a disability and their carers
• NSW Government disability support
  Directory of information and services including education, employment, transport, housing and recreation

Support for people with intellectual disability

• Annual health checks
  Get a health assessment once a year supported by Medicare to help identify unmet health needs and preventable conditions
• Comprehensive Health Assessment Program (CHAP)
  Tool used by GPs to assess health needs and create a health action plan
• Intellectual Disability Mental Health Connect
  Mental health services and supports for people with intellectual disability and their families
• Statewide Intellectual Disability Health Service
  NSW Health service for care planning and assessments for people with intellectual disability who have complex health needs
• Statewide Intellectual Disability Mental Health Outreach Service for Adults
  NSW Health specialist mental health service for people 18 years and over with intellectual disability

Find reliable information about health, sexual health, consent, and relationships and how to connect to support services.

General health information

Ask for Health
Trusted health information and resources for young people

yhunger recipes
Find budget friendly recipes and practical skills to support healthy eating, cooking and physical activity

Support services

Ask Izzy
Directory of support services, including housing, food, health, everyday needs, domestic violence help, counselling and financial help

Reproductive and sexual health

Play Safe (NSW Health)
Sexual health information, STI testing guidance, and confidential live chat with a nurse

Consent Can’t Wait
Learn about consent, healthy relationships and communication

Family Planning Australia
Reproductive and sexual health services including contraception, STI testing, pregnancy options and education for people of all ages

Planet Puberty
Puberty and relationship resources for parents and carers of young people with intellectual disability or autism

Domestic, family or sexual violence

1800 Respect
Information, counselling and support services for people impacted by domestic, family or sexual violence

How to find support for school and university, training resources, getting a job, workplace support and learning new skills.

Your rights at school, TAFE or uni

• Your rights under the Disability Standards for Education 2005
  Resources to help students with disability and their caregivers

Post-school options

• An overview of post-school options for young people with disability (ideas.org.au)
• Your rights for post-school education, including reasonable adjustments (ADCET)
• TAFE NSW's support services for students with a disability or health condition

Apprenticeships

• Apprenticeships (Australian Government)
• Apprenticeships and traineeships (NSW Government)

Finding a job

• How NDIS can help with finding a job
• Employment services for teens with additional needs (raisingchildren.net.au)

Mentoring

• Career Mentoring Program
  People aged 18 and above with disability can access a mentor based on your location and the industry you’re looking to work in

Getting a Medicare card, setting up MyGov or Service NSW accounts and finding Centrelink payments.

Australian government services

• Create a MyGov account
  How to set up a MyGov account to see many Australian government services online
• Centrelink payment finder
  Payments or benefits you may be able to get, like Youth Allowance or Family Tax Benefit
• Disability Support Pension (DSP)
  Find out if you can get the DSP and how to apply
• Health Care Card
  Find out if you can get a health care card, cheaper medicines and some health services
• Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) Safety Net
  Learn about the PBS Safety Net to get cheaper medicines if you or your family spend a certain amount on PBS prescriptions in a year
• How to apply for a Medicare card
  Learn how to get your own Medicare card; it gives access to free or cheaper healthcare in Australia

NSW government services

• Create a My Service NSW account
  How to set up a My Service account to access NSW government services
• NSW Photo Card
  Apply for this government‑issued card for NSW residents aged 16 or over who need proof of identity, age, or address. Useful if you do not have a drivers licence

Managing your money, budgeting, insurance and avoiding scams.

• Tax File Number (TFN)
  How to get a TFN for work, taxes and government services
• Financial Management Orders
  How to get a financial manager to make financial and legal decisions on behalf of a person
• Private health insurance
  Find private health insurance advice from the government

Advice for managing money and budgeting

• Manage Your Money: an easy read guide (PDF)
  Easy read guide on managing money for people with intellectual disability
• Finances and money (for young people)
  Simple tips and links for budgeting, saving and managing everyday costs
• Money Smart
  Learn about saving, spending and avoiding scams

Avoiding scams

• ScamWatch
  How to spot a scam and protect your money

How to get to NSW Health services and where to park; find support if travelling from the country; and public transport and accessible transport options.

• Travel tips for people living with disability
  Information for people living with disability and their supporters

Getting to NSW Health services

• Directions to NSW Health services and parking
• Isolated Patients Travel and Accommodation Assistance (IPTAAS) Scheme
  Help to cover travel and accommodation costs for eligible NSW patients needing specialised health treatment far from home
• Patient Transport Service
  Learn about transport to and from health services for eligible patients
• Mobility parking permit
  How to apply for a mobility parking permit to access disability parking spaces

Public transport

• Transport NSW eligibility and concessions (Opal cards)
• Taxi Transport Subsidy Scheme (NSW)
  Fare subsidy for people with severe, permanent disability who cannot use public transport independently

Use the internet and social media safely and learn how to protect your information.

For everyone

eSafety Commissioner
Learn about staying safe, respectful and empowered online

GameAware
Information and support services for healthier video gaming

For young people

Online safety for young people
How to use the internet safely and report harmful online experiences

Internet safety cards (SECCA)
Printable cards to help people with intellectual disability understand and practice safe online behaviour

For parents and carers

Cyber Safe Parents
Practical online safety advice, including information for families supporting young people with disability

Interaction Services Online Safety Training
Education modules about online safety for young people living with disability for parents and carers