Empowered Liveability

Every year, the Empowered Liveability team takes time away from the office to pause, reconnect, and invest in personal wellness, self-care, and growth both as individuals and as a team.

This year, our team headed to beautiful Bayside Geelong for a few days dedicated to wellness, reflection and connection. Guided by the incredible Jo Surkitt and Chrissie Stobbs, the team was led through sound baths, personality deep dives, group activities, and some truly healing and honest conversations.

It was the kind of experience that reminds us how important it is to step away from the busyness of daily work and make space for ourselves and each other.

In a sector that is so often focused on supporting others, it is equally important to ensure the people doing that work are supported, grounded, and given opportunities to reflect and grow.

As a team, we have varying physical needs – full time wheelchair users, occasional mobility aids users, which means that accessibility is never an afterthought for us. It is something we notice, something we value, and something we understand can completely shape whether an experience feels genuinely inclusive.

This is where Bayside Geelong stepped in and they did so in the most accessible and accommodating way any hotel we have experienced so far has been able to.
One of their accessible rooms featured not only an adjustable bed, but also a ceiling hoist. Their indoor heated pool was fitted with a pool hoist, ensuring that the benefits of relaxation and recreation were available to more people. The accessible bathrooms were thoughtfully laid out, with features positioned in ways that made them genuinely easy to reach and use.

Even the in-room tea and coffee station included a kettle in a kettle cradle, allowing for safer and more independent use. To some, that may seem like a small detail. To someone with limited strength, dexterity or mobility, it can be the difference between needing assistance and enjoying a simple cup of tea independently.

The hallways were wide, the doorways were spacious, and the doors – particularly to the accessible rooms – were easy to open. These are the kinds of design choices that often go unnoticed by those who do not need them, but they make an enormous difference to those who do.

Accessibility is sometimes treated like a checklist or a buzzword, but true accessibility is intentional. It is thoughtful. It considers the real, practical needs of people and recognises that everyone has the right to enjoy time away, to relax, to connect, and to feel included.

For the Empowered Liveability team, our time at Bayside Geelong was not only a chance to focus on wellness and team growth. It was also a reminder of what genuine inclusion can look like when accessibility is built into an experience with care.

Because accessibility is not just about access to buildings.

It is about access to life.

A huge thank you to the team at Quality Hotel Bayside Geelong for getting accessibility so right. You've set a benchmark we hope more hotels take note of.

Nicole Makin- Doherty Goro Gupta Samantha Prior Bronwen Gourley

Thai’s mum, like many before her, has dedicated her life to looking after her son.

But 12 months ago, Thai knew it was time to gain some independence

He wanted mum to be able to have her own quality of life in her golden years, while as a young adult, he craved independence, autonomy and housing security.

He knew he wanted to own his own home

After engaging with Empowered Liveabilty, he discovered he could rent an SDA property while building his dream home (media room was non negotiable!)

This helped him essentially ‘try before you buy’!

Living in an SDA gave him ideas of what he wanted in his home, and things he knew he didn’t want or like. He got to try out his new community, near where he is building, and visit the build site to see progress on a regular basis.

While Thai shares his experience going through the design and build process, we know home ownership isn’t achievable for everyone. (In all facets of society, but it’s especially hard for people with a disability)

Empowered Liveability started with this one goal 10 years ago, and have been working on making it a reality for as many people as we can!

If you’d like to explore whether building an accessible home is possible for you, or you would like to explore our rental options, contact us today on 1300974912

Meet Thai- Build to own SDA home

Have you ever noticed that even after a participant settles into their SDA home, the journey still continues?

Each year brings new conversations around funding, supports, changing needs, and making sure everything still aligns with the participant’s goals and daily life.

Because maintaining a successful SDA tenancy is not just about paperwork.

It’s about helping people continue living with stability, confidence, and the right support around them as life evolves.

And sometimes, those yearly reviews reveal important things families and support teams did not expect.

Dive deeper into the final stage of the SDA Journey and find out why ongoing tenancy management plays such an important role long after move-in day.

https://empoweredliveability.com.au/sda-journey-series-part-twelve-annual-reviews-and-future-planning/



Nicole Makin- Doherty Samantha Prior Goro Gupta Bronwen Gourley

In SDA, a strong SDA and SIL relationship is built on one key thing: collaboration. 🤝

But collaboration doesn’t stop once the keys are handed over, the paperwork is signed, or the first participant moves in.

True collaboration continues.

It looks like SDA and SIL providers working together to highlight vacancies, share the strengths of the support model, and ensure participants, families, and Support Coordinators can clearly see what makes a home and support team the right fit.

Because in this sector, trying to do it all alone rarely creates the best outcomes.

At Empowered Liveability, we understand the complexities and pressures SIL providers face. We also understand that the strongest outcomes happen when providers come together, share knowledge, support each other, and work through common pain points as a collective.

That’s why we continue to support initiatives like Link2Access and encourage providers across the sector to get involved in spaces where collaboration is not just talked about - it’s actively practised.

When providers work together, participants benefit.

And that should always be the goal.

Reach out and get involved: [email protected]



Nicole Makin- Doherty Samantha Prior Goro Gupta Bronwen Gourley

Home should feel like the place where your body can finally relax.

Where mornings feel calmer.
Where routines feel easier to manage.
Where you can move through the day feeling safe, comfortable, and more in control of your own space.

Our home on Hanson Road, Craigieburn was designed for that kind of everyday living.

A place where you can enjoy quiet mornings in your own room, share meals in open living spaces, have support around when needed, and still have the privacy to simply enjoy being at home.

Outside, you’re still connected to the world around you. Shops, parks, healthcare services, walking tracks, cafés, and train access are all nearby, making it easier to stay connected to community, routine, and the people around you.

Because the right SDA home should not just meet requirements.

It should feel stable, supportive, and easier to build a life around.

🏡 Learn more about this home:
https://empoweredliveability.com.au/el-property/hanson-craigieburn-vic-hps/

Got questions? We have your back. 💜
[email protected] | 1300 974 912



Nicole Makin- Doherty Samantha Prior Goro Gupta Bronwen Gourley