Exemplifying Excellence in Regional Support, Swati is a support worker who went the extra mile to pursue her customers’ dreams. Swati’s story is one of perseverance and patience that created hope for her whole team and community. She previously won an iThink You Are Awesome award for her contributions, and now she is nominated to win a Western Australian Disability Support Award (WADSA) from National Disability Services (NDS). This is the story of why she was nominated.
The COVID-19 pandemic hit people with disability hard, forcing many of them into extended lockdown and isolation for years. For three of Swati’s customers, this dashed their hopes of fulfilling an NDIS goal they had first requested years earlier: going on a holiday away from their homes in Mandurah.
This goal had already faced difficulties due to complex care needs, funding constraints, and limited regional accessibility. Instead of viewing these barriers as impossible, Swati saw them as a systems problem to tackle.
Over the course of months, Swati consulted with her customers to determine what they wanted out of their holidays, such as location and activities, as well as what they needed, such as specialty accommodation and mobility aids.
Building Connections to Overcome Barriers
Working towards this holiday was not a task undertaken alone. It took coordination with The Public Trustee, two accommodation providers, support teams, families, and an Occupational Therapy provider. Her ability to build these connections to bring the goal to life is what makes her excellent.
The bed in particular was a substantial barrier, as one customer required a wide tilting hospital bed. No suitable beds were available locally, and Perth-based providers quoted prohibitively high delivery costs due to regional transport. Swati negotiated directly with an Occupational Therapy provider and secured delivery and hire for a fraction of the standard rate, ensuring medical safety without exhausting funding.
The Holiday
The holiday itself was a marked success, where each customer had both their needs and wants met to the furthest extend Swati could arrange.
One of the customers, passionate about camping but sensitive to heat, experienced a beachside tent setup and daily access to a swimming pool to regulate temperature safely. While another got to experience Busselton nightlife, with accessible venues scouted out ahead of her arrival so she could enjoy things on her terms. While each of these activities presented their own challenges, the impact they had on the customers was monumental.
The trio also went out for group activities, such as visiting the iconic Busselton Jetty and Marine Discovery Centre.
Although these successes weren’t without challenges, such as fatigue, they achieved all they sought to and left Busselton with a stronger bond than before.
A group photo of the three customers on Holiday, accompanies by a Support Worker and Carer.
Two customers enjoying their visit to Busselton Jetty.
NDS 2026 Award Nominee – Excellence in Regional and Remote Support
Swati’s outstanding work has earned her a nomination for the 2026 Western Australian Disability Support Awards in Excellence in Regional and Remote Support.
Regional areas including anywhere outside of Perth. That includes her Neighbourhood of Mandurah, and includes Busselton, where she not only faced the challenges of regional disability support, but needed to build a network and access to disability services as an outsider to the community too.
Her success has led to not only her nomination for this prestigious award; it has also stirred a new sense of hope among her Mandurah community. She has reframed holidays not as luxuries, but as legitimate NDIS goals tied to community participation, independence, and social inclusion. Her approach demonstrates that regional living should not equate to reduced opportunity, and the connections made and lessons learned are now being put into planned holidays for other customers in her Neighbourhood.
The winners of the WADSA awards will be announced at the award ceremony on May 2nd. While we await the final winners, we are proud of the pathway Swati has created towards enabling accessible holidays for people with disability at Interchange WA. Please wish her the best of luck.
