Life Without Barriers releases 2021-22 Annual Report.
On behalf of the Board and Executive Team at Life Without Barriers, we extend our sincere thanks for the opportunity to be a part of the journey of tens of thousands of people. We thank our staff and carers for their commitment through what has been an extraordinary year.
The 2021-22 Annual Report outlines the organisation’s work in partnering with more than 23,000 people across Australia.
Life Without Barriers supported 5,213 participants of the National Disability Insurance Scheme, 4,929 children, young people and families, more than 8,261 older Australians and 1,134 refugees and asylum seekers including unaccompanied minors.
The theme Life Without Barriers' selected this year, Partnering for the future, is in celebration of the partnerships that enable our organisation to have an impact across the year.
The stories and successes belong to the people who trust Life Without Barriers into their lives every day and the partners - government, sector colleagues, corporates, families, carers and decision makers - all who believe as much as we do in a fair and equal society for all.
In the report, Life Without Barriers' share details on the impact across the three core areas of our current Strategy:
Delivering great services to people across Australia;
Influencing systemic barriers and the policies that impact vulnerable people;
Impact for future generations and how we challenge the decisions we make today to have positive effects in years to come.
You can find stories from each service on our Year in Review page.
It is a report that highlights that all people across our country have a right to access services and the community, to live life as they choose and in a way where opportunity is not denied to them because of life circumstances. We are a stronger nation when we care for all our people - this report is a positive example of what we can change and inspire when we work together.
Claire Robbs, Life Without Barriers Chief Executive, said partnerships have been the key ingredient in all of the organisation’s impacts for the year and have enabled the organisation to think differently about influencing policies that affect vulnerable Australians.
“Life Without Barriers is first and foremost a service organisation in every sense of the word. We exist to deliver great services that enable people to embrace choice and control over the services they need and how they want to live in Australia,” Ms Robbs said.
“The stories reflected in the report are stories of true partnership. The impact we have as an organisation is only possible because of the trust placed in us by the people we support and their families and support networks. Through floods and the pandemic, there are remarkable stories of achievements by people across the entire country.
“One of the most significant collaborations we share in this report is the historic partnership with SNAICC – National Voice for our Children, which commits our organisation to progressively step away from providing out-of-home care services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children by 2031.”
“Our relationships with industry experts, government, corporate Australia and sector colleagues have enabled our collective contribution to influence long-term policy, practice and decision-making to be truly impactful in the long term,” Ms Robbs said.
“This year, we have also created new and invaluable relationships with over 500 foster and kinship carers. We are immensely grateful to every carer in the Life Without Barriers Network that offers love, compassion and support to children and young people for as long as they need it.”
Access the 2021-22 Year in Review here.
