New tech improves disability experience

A Logan couple has designed a new tech platform and released it nationally as a one-stop-shop for people with disability, helping them to make the most of their experience with the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).

The brainchild of Tamborine husband-and-wife duo Chris and Cherryl Joseph, My Solas is an online platform that empowers independence and self-expression in NDIS participants via access to choice and community.

‘The product we’ve developed is desperately needed and it’s evident that people are screaming for more resources,’ Chris says.

‘It’s been so rewarding to be a part of something that will make a difference in peoples’ lives.’

The free platform, released nationally in July, is designed for participants to compare NDIS support providers, find accommodation, buy assistive technology, join social events and more.

The heart of the platform is the plan navigator, a 4-step tool that instantly matches participants with local providers and services – information usually held in complex spreadsheets, or is difficult to find across multiple web sources.

My Solas builds on Chris and Cherryl’s existing business in Beenleigh, Aspire Hub, which assists NDIS participants with supported accommodation.

‘Years ago, a support coordinator reached out to us looking for housing support on behalf of a Logan resident named Sandra,’ Cherryl says.

‘We were able to help her transition out of hospital and into supported accommodation in Meadowbrook, where she’s been for 3 years now.

‘With changes to the NDIS and a lot of stress on support coordinators, there are a lot of local participants like Sandra who don’t know how to access the support and services they need.

‘It’s more important than ever before and this is why My Solas was created.’

The couple will continue to develop the new tech platform and are currently creating a forum for users to leave ‘likes’ and comments.

Photo at top: Chris and Cherryl Joseph, founders of My Solas.