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Mandurah disability apartment complex officially opens

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Mandurah disability apartment complex officially opens

For Kristy Parlor, her new apartment in central Mandurah is more than just a home.The two-bedroom, two-bathroom flat marks the first time Ms Parlor has
For Kristy Parlor, her new apartment in central Mandurah is more than just a home.The two-bedroom, two-bathroom flat marks the first time Ms Parlor has

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For Kristy Parlor, her new apartment in central Mandurah is more than just a home.

The two-bedroom, two-bathroom flat marks the first time Ms Parlor has had a place to call her own and provides a safe, permanent home for the Mandurah woman, who lives with cerebal palsy, an intellectual disability and severe epilepsy.

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Last week Ms Parlor moved into her new digs, one of four apartments at a newly completed complex built specifically to allow people with complex disabilities to live independently and approved as specialist disability accommodation under the NDIS.

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Ms Parlor’s twin sister Jess Longworth said the move was “huge” and although her family had always hoped her sister would be able to live independently, they never imagined it could be possible.

“Just because they’re in a wheelchair does not mean that they should have substandard living,” she said.

“They want to work, they want to be a part of the community, just like everybody else does.

“They’ve already got enough going against them, they do deserve something nice, and safe.”

The completion of the building, which was initially slated for early 2023 and officially opened on Friday after delays, has brought a sense of relief for Ms Parlor who has been living in a hotel for more than a year.

Ms Longworth said the family was forced to use emergency funding to pay for her sister to live in the hotel as she would otherwise have to couch surf as they were not able to find rental accommodation suitable to her needs.

The wait took a toll on Ms Parlor, who suffered seizures due to her anxiety over finding accommodation, but Ms Longworth said she never gave up hope and regularly visited the apartment complex as it was being built.

“She didn’t give up, even when we weren’t sure it would happen, Kristy just kept saying ‘yeah it will’,” Ms Longworth said.

“The biggest thing for Kristy is now she can just live normally.”

Each apartment in the $3 million build has been designed to allow independent living while meeting high physical support standards.

The apartments have wider than normal doorways to accommodate wheelchairs and include assistive technology — from facial recognition door locks enabling tenants to open their front doors hands free to bed hoists and height adjustable bench tops and cabinets.

The homes can be fully automated if required and there are two residential studios on the first floor for carers to stay in overnight.

The development was the vision of builder John Palmer, who built the complex through his property development company NDIS Property WA in collaboration with specialist disability accommodation provider Nesti Housing and supported independent living provider Diversity South.

The State Government lease the property back from NDIS Property WA through a program that enables the private sector to build fit-for-purpose homes for people living with disability.

Mr Palmer sought input from people living with disabilities, occupational therapists and accommodation managers at the design stage to make sure the home was suited to its tenants’ needs.

“The thing we make sure we do is we build what they want, not what we think they want,” he said.

“And that’s a very important thing thing in this space, because we’re able-bodied people.

“So just because we think it’ll work, you speak to somebody in a wheelchair, and they’ll tell you quicker.”

Mr Palmer was emotional during the official opening event on Friday and said completing the building had been difficult as red tape and bureaucracy caused delays in completion, but he was happy to see it finished with tenants inside.

Builder John Palmer with his STA Homes Group business partners and investors Dave Luxton and Gerard O’Gorman, with Dawesville MLA Lisa Munday.
Camera IconBuilder John Palmer with his STA Homes Group business partners and investors Dave Luxton and Gerard O’Gorman, with Dawesville MLA Lisa Munday. Credit: Kasey Gratton

“I’ve been doing disability work for about 12 years now and I retrofit old government houses,” he said.

“And I see how three individuals in wheelchairs are living in a three-bedroom house. And they’re all cramped up and they can’t move around, and everybody’s morale is low.

“But when they come into a property that’s built for purpose, and they go ‘this is great for us’, and then everybody’s happy. It just makes life easier.”

Mr Palmer’s next local project will be to develop the vacant property next door into two group homes. He said he was in talks with a disability service provider.

Origininal Post https://www.perthnow.com.au/community-news/mandurah-times/apartment-complex-custom-built-for-people-with-disabilities-officially-opens-in-mandurah-c-12566834

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