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As the water trickled over the rocks and my kids explored the bush, their laughter mingling with birdsong, I sat quietly on the wooden seat, taking it all in. The peace, the joy - but also something else. My eyes welled up just as my independent support worker glanced at me. She slipped an arm around me and gave a gentle squeeze. I didn't need to explain what I was feeling but she already knew. That feeling is something that I think every parent living with a disability needs to hear and embrace. A different kind of angst Mum - and dad - guilt is almost synonymous with parenting these days. We worry we're not doing enough, not being enough; that there's never enough time, money, or energy. But when you're parenting with disability, that feeling cuts deeper. It's the sting when you can't do something for, or with, your kids. Like driving them to a birthday party, kicking a soccer ball in the backyard. It's crying quietly in the kitchen when disability and parenthood all feels too much.

Independent Thoughts digs deeper into what it really means to live on your terms, sharing insights into life for people with disability and older Australians. We invite guests with lived experience to share their perspectives in an open dialogue. From casual chats to asking some of life's biggest questions, Independent Thoughts covers it all. Independent Thoughts is an invitation to join us as we challenge the status quo, shatter stereotypes, and redefine independence – one open-hearted conversation at a time. In this episode, we meet Simone, who manages support for her dad, Con, through Mable. She speaks with host and Clinical Psychologist, Melissa Levi . Finding the right support Dogs, flowers and a veggie garden. These are three things that bring Con joy, according to his daughter, Simone. But as he got older, it became physically harder for him to stay connected to the parts of life he loved. When Con and Simone felt it was time to begin looking for help at home, it was import

Each year, we celebrate the independent support workers who go above and beyond with our Support Worker Awards. These awards recognise the exceptional dedication of independent support workers on Mable; ones who've been recognised for their care and commitment, and for making a meaningful impact on their client's life. Celebrating outstanding dedication and care To find our winners, we ask our community of clients to nominate their independent support worker. To enter, clients needed to submit a photo of themselves with their independent support worker and tell us why they deserve to win. The winners in each state* receive a: $1,000 Prezzee voucher to a leading outlet of their choice Personalised trophy and exclusive Mable merch Shout-out on social media to recognise their dedication Feature in our monthly newsletter. The client who nominated them also wins a $500 Prezzee voucher to a leading outlet of their choice.  Let's meet the winners We are always in awe of the number of respon

A note on language: The author has chosen to use ' identity-first' language when referring to autism and autistic people. We understand different people have different preferences, and we recognise and respect every individual's right to choose how their identity is described. "Mum, now don't cry," my boy announced as he stepped into the room, wearing his new high school uniform. It hung off him, loose and oversized - just as it had on his first day of primary school. The memory undid me... Before I could stop it, the floodgates opened. "Sorry, my love. I know I'm crying!" I sobbed. "I'm just so proud of you." In truth, I felt much more. You see, my son is autistic, and I think any parent of a neurodivergent child beginning school, be it little, big, or a changed one, will understand my emotions. An epic journey Starting school is a big deal for any child. But for some families, it carries an undercurrent of fear, hope, and quiet bravery. This was certainly true for me on Owen's* fir

Change is hard for anyone, but it can be harder for autistic people. And one of the biggest changes someone can face is to move home. That is exactly what Rachel (name changed for privacy) recently went through. Here, she shares what it was like and how the support she received from Mable's Home and Living Consultants , made a huge difference. Rachel's change of situation Rachel lived with her parents in her family home for over 20 years. As she got older, she wanted more independence so she took the exciting step of moving in with her sister. She enjoyed this new experience and learned a lot about living independently. "Moving in with my sister was a good step for me. But when it came time to move out after a year, I did get stressed out and anxious about finding a new place," Rachel explains. At the time, Rachel didn't have a support coordinator. So she decided to reach out to Mable's Home and Living Consultants for help, and was connected to our lead consultant, Libby Ellis. Workin

Finding the right support worker can take time. For Lana, her perfect support worker turned out to be someone from her own community. "Belinda!! It's Lana, from soccer," I replied excitedly to my friend on the Mable app. I'd just posted a support job and was surprised to receive a response from someone I actually knew. Belinda's son plays soccer with mine - but back then, I knew her more as "Jack's mum" than Belinda. I didn't know she was a support worker, only that our boys were mates. Here's how that casual acquaintance has grown into a really wonderful support relationship - and why I feel engaging a support worker who gets your life and your community is so important. Starting my support journey I'd just received my NDIS approval letter when I posted that ad. It was my first time seeking support for myself on Mable. I wasn't sure how it would go - would I find someone, would I like them? Within moments, several local independent support workers responded. "Well, this will be easy

Ensuring that payments run smoothly on Mable requires a lot of work behind the scenes. This is where Warren, one of our Senior Product Managers, comes in. He and his team are currently giving Mable's payments engine a big makeover, making it smoother and more efficient. We sat down with Warren to chat about what his team is working on, where they're headed, and even what he gets up to when he's not deep in the world of payments. Can you please tell us a bit about your role at Mable as a Senior Product Manager? "My main role is to make sure Mable's payment system is simple and reliable for our community to use. I spend my time listening to support workers and clients to figure out what's not working or could be improved when it comes to payments. I also work closely with our tech and support teams to fix payment related issues or explore opportunities. By making the payments side of things easy and stress-free, we help everyone focus on what truly matters." How big is your team and what

A note on language: The author has chosen to use identity-first language . "[We can] view coming into disability as a birth, not a death." I read those words in Care Work, by Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha, last year. I closed the book and sat with how the words made me feel. Powerful. Hopeful. I reopened the book to read them again. And again. I wanted to hold onto the words, to see myself and my disability in a new way. Piepzna-Samarasinha was saying that disability doesn't have to mean tragedy. They explain that many of us live proud and meaningful lives, not tragic ones, often with the support of older or more experienced disabled people. Those older or more experienced disabled people can be known as 'disability doulas' within the community. My mentor, Akii I am lucky to have been guided by several disability doulas, including my friend Akii. I'm not newly disabled, so it might seem odd that I would need this kind of support. But I am new to identifying as disabled, and my di

Let's be honest: life can be pretty tough when you're disabled or chronically ill. It can be painful, exhausting, and hard to cope with a changing body and changing capacity, especially if you've acquired your condition in adulthood. Pain, fatigue, and inaccessibility can make your world feel small. Thankfully, there are some tricks that can make your life easier and help you live more independently. Accept help (if you can) I know not everyone has someone who can help—and even if you do, I know it might feel hard to ask. But it makes a huge difference, and the people around us often want to help. Maybe a friend or family member can help clean the house, run errands, pick up, click and collect orders, or make some meals. Or, if you have funding for support workers, use them. Save your energy for existing because that's already a lot. So many of us wouldn't survive without the support of our communities, so it's time to destigmatise needing (and accepting) help. Support can be a mass