There’s something about heading out for a night of dancing.
Getting ready. Choosing what to wear. Meeting up with friends. Turning up the music, getting onto the dance floor and simply having a great time.
For a group of Afford clients, it’s become part of their regular routine. Week after week, they head out to local clubs to dance, socialise, laugh and enjoy themselves.
It might seem like a small thing. But being able to regularly do something you enjoy is a pretty important part of living a good life.
Your life, your way
“People sometimes forget that the people we support want exactly the same things as anyone else their age,” says Afford Supported Independent Living house manager Maree Fletcher.
“They want to go out, see their friends, have a laugh, try new things. Our clients make their own choices and just enjoy their lives. That shouldn’t be surprising – it’s simply human.
“After years of working in disability accommodation, I’ve seen time and again that when we really listen to people and give them the right support, there’s no limit to what they can experience and achieve. My role is to walk alongside them, not decide what their life should look like. Their home is their home and their life is theirs to live.”
It’s easy to think that people with disability won’t want the same experiences as everyone else their age. That their interests, ambitions or social lives might look fundamentally different.
That assumption is wrong.
Afford clients Peter and Isaac love to head out of a Saturday night and the staff at their favourite spots love to see them.
Your choice always
People with disability want to live their lives too.
They want to go out. They want to see their friends. They want to try new things, have fun, make their own choices and sometimes push themselves outside their comfort zone.
At Afford, we believe the starting point should always be the person – what they enjoy, what matters to them and what they want their life to look like.
Our role isn’t to decide what someone should or shouldn’t do. Instead we meet people where they are, listen to what they want and then work alongside them to make it possible.
Sometimes that might mean supporting someone to do something they’ve always enjoyed.
While other times it means encouraging someone to have a go at something they’re not quite sure they can do yet – because they really want to.
Isaac and Peter like to go to hotels and have a few drinks but they love to hit the club for a dance even more.
Supporting your goals
For these clients, getting out on the dance floor isn’t simply an occasional activity. It’s something they look forward to, something they choose and something that has become part of their regular lives.
Our staff are there to provide the support that makes those experiences possible, while still giving clients the freedom to make their own choices, take the lead and enjoy the experience for themselves.
Because good support isn’t about doing everything for someone.
It’s about knowing when to step in, when to walk alongside someone and when to step back and let them take the lead.
It is about saying, “You want to do this? Okay. Let’s work out how we can make it happen.”
Whether it’s dancing until the music stops, trying something new, catching up with friends or simply having a night out, these moments matter.
They’re not extraordinary because they’re being experienced by people with disability.
They are extraordinary because they’re part of ordinary life – and everyone deserves the opportunity to have plenty of it.
For our clients, the next night out is already something to look forward to.
And when the music starts, the dance floor is theirs.
Isaac’s good friend and fellow Afford client Jaleel (right) also likes the nightlife. The two are very popular at the local hotel where staff are always delighted to see them, Peter too.
