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People have often made the mistake of underestimating Krystal Matthews. Born with cerebral palsy, Krystal and her family saw no limits for her. But others did. In high school, a teacher urged Krystal, who uses a wheelchair, not to take part in a childcare activity because she ‘would never become a mother’.

There is nothing more precious to a parent than to watch their child grow up, be happy and live their best life. So it is with Petrea Aslett, a Brisbane mum whose son, Hudson, 10, loves to surf with his mates at the Disabled Surfers Association (DSA) on the Gold Coast. Hudson, who lives with cerebral palsy, has been surfing with the DSA since the age of 3, and while it is his favourite activity, Petrea says it was a challenging time before the NDIS entered their lives. “I was acting more as a carer than a parent,” Petrea said...

Marriage can be tough at the best of times. But when one partner has a disability and the other is their full-time carer, the pressure can sometimes be too much. Gill Godfrey partly credits the survival of her 42-year marriage to the support she receives from the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). ‘I think it helped us stay together because he had a lot of work to do with me, and he worried a lot,’ Gill says. NDIS-funded support workers help Gill 5 days a week, with 2 days reserved for family only. ‘The first time I went out with...