The Expanding Worlds podcast Shares Stories and Shares Solutions to expand what people believe is possible. We talk to individuals and organisations who are driving change to enable people with Additional Needs to live the independent lives they aspire to.
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167 Unlocking Potential: The Crucial Role of Families, Schools, and Job Coaches with Laura Davis from BASE
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Every journey starts somewhere, and for most of us, it starts at home with those closest to us, encouraging us, and believing in us. In this week’s episode with Laura Davis from BASE we discuss the important role families play in shaping the future outcomes of children. We discuss the challenges of navigating the support available and the role of s…
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166 Transforming Inclusive Employment: The Role of BASE In Changing Attitudes With Laura Davis
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Collaboration can speed up change, but it requires coordination and management to make that happen. This week’s guest Laura Davis, Chief Executive of the British Association for Supported Employment (BASE) knows all about this. In this episode, she not only shares her personal journey but also discusses the pivotal role BASE plays in championing em…
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165 Building Employer Relationships That Benefit Everyone with Andrea Randall-Smith from Little Gate
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Having more opportunities for paid work for young people with additional needs relies on finding more employers to offer those opportunities. In this episode Andrea Randall-Smith from Little Gate explains the strategies they use to manage the relationships with the employers they work with to ensure more of these opportunities become available. She…
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164 The Little Gate Story: Bridging Aspirations and Employment with Andrea Randall-Smith
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When opportunities aren’t available, sometimes we need to create them. That is part of the reason that Little Gate came about. In this episode Andrea Randall-Smith, CEO of Little Gate, shares the history and ethos of the organization and how they work to change the future of the young people they serve by giving them to skills to move into paid wor…
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163 Planning A Better Future For Our Children with Debra Caldow
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In this episode, I’m talking about the importance of structured planning for children with additional needs and having short, medium and long-term plans for various aspects of their life around daily living, purpose, relationships, and finance. This ensures not only continuous progress but is also better preparation for their futures. A good plan h…
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162 Everybody Needs Good Neighbors with Ann Wilkinson from WeBUILT
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We all want good neighbors but of course what makes a good neighbor differs for everyone. In this second part of a conversation with Ann Wilkinson from WeBUILT we talk about how they have built a neighborhood where people look out for each other when they need to. Ann explains how the focus on choice, predictability and autonomy has helped to reduc…
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161 WeBUILT Unified Living: Crafting a Supportive Community with Ann Wilkinson
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When we live in a place that we like everything else is made just that bit easier. But sometimes finding that place can seem an impossible task. In this episode I’m sharing one family’s journey to find that place for their son. My guest is Ann Wilkinson from WeBUILT who shares her story from exploring various options and realizing these didn't fit …
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160 Real Lives, Real Jobs: Self Employment with Sam Everard from SAMEE
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Self-employment is viable option, but it becomes even more so when there is clear evidence of how well it can work. In this episode Sam Everard, founder and CEO of Samee Charity shares some examples of where young people with additional needs have created great businesses based not only on their skills but also on their passions and often, because …
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159 Enabling A Path To Self-Employment with Sam Everard from SAMEE
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One way into paid employment is to work for yourself and that’s the focus of this episode with Sam Everard, founder and CEO of Samee Charity. She discusses the organization's mission to support young people with additional needs into becoming self-employed. Sam also discusses the barriers, how to address these, and what supporting someone into self…
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158 From Daily Living to Personal Growth with Debra Caldow
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In this solo episode, I discuss what independence really means for young people like my daughter. Is it just about having the skills to do more for herself or are there other things that she should have the opportunities to consider? I discuss this using Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs theory as a way to structure my thoughts on whether or not it's eno…
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157 Raising Expectations: Lifelong Learning and Contribution with Lex Ali from Big Life Adventure
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Learning new things, having new experiences and giving back to our community build self-confidence and self-esteem. However, to often people with additional needs aren’t given the opportunity to do any of these things. In this second part of my conversation with Lex Ali, from Big Life Adventure, we talk about the value in lifelong learning and the …
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For most people one of the great things about becoming an adult is getting to make their own life choices, dreaming about what they want to do, and making decisions about how their life will look now and in the future. But for many people with additional needs these opportunities aren’t easily available. In this episode my guest Lex Ali from Big Li…
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155 Breaking Down The Barriers To Employment with Vinny De Falco from Think Forward
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Breaking down the barriers to inclusive employment opportunities is proving to be a challenge. But progress is being made and what that looks like is one of the things I’m discussing in this week’s episode with my guest Vinny De Falco from Think Forward. We talk about the programs that Think Forward have previously run, what they learned from those…
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154 Navigating the Transition Pathway with Vinny De Falco from Think Forward
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The transition from education to employment for young people with additional needs requires planning in order to be effective. In this episode with Vinny De Falco from Think Forward we talk about the importance of early transition planning and how a structured and supportive transition program with personalized coaching can help young people develo…
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153 Great Expectations And Why They Matter with Debra Caldow
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It's a solo episode this week and I'm talking about the role that expectations have in the way we support and inspire our young people to achieve all they are capable of. Our expectations of them guide their expectations of themselves and can also help them to ignore the low expectations of others.
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152 Why The Use Of Technology At Work Is About Mindset with Alex Barker from AbilityNet
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The use of technology is embedded into our work lives and for people with additional needs it is often assistive technology that enables them to do their job. But often the right technology is not in place or provided by employers and that is one of the topics discussed in this episode of the podcast with my guest in this week’s episode Alex Barker…
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151 Why We Should Be Using The Assistive Technology In Our Pockets with Alex Barker from AbilityNet
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When we think of assistive technology or any technology that can support our young people with additional needs to become more independent, we often start at the point of thinking it could be expensive or complicated to learn to use. But the reality is that today the first bit of assistive technology that our young people should access is their pho…
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150 Why Community Gives Us More Than Just Friendship with Sarah Towler from CASPA
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When we think of community, we first think about the friendship element of being around other people. But there is more to being part of a community than just that. When we become part of a community, we have the opportunity to learn from those around us. These are the other benefits of being in a community. And why this is such an important part o…
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149 How Community Can Support And Educate with Sarah Towler from CASPA
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Community is defined as people with common interests living in a particular area but in reality, it’s less about location and more about belonging, about connection and feeling part of something. In this episode, my guest is Sarah Towler and the organization we are talking about is CASPA which does all of these things and more. CASPA stands for Com…
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148 Why Habits Are The Foundation Of Independence with Debra Caldow
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Every day we all do the same things the same way because it’s these habits that make it easier to live our lives. Habits are just skills we have that we use over and over again and for my daughter with additional needs, all the skills she has built over time are now habits that allow her to live more independently. Those skills she has like cooking…
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147 Why Working With The Right Support Works with Adam and Deb
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The barriers to employment for young people with additional needs are high but that doesn’t mean it’s not possible as this week’s episode shows. In part 2 of my conversation with Adam and Deb, Adam talks about his experience of work and why his current role is working for him. Adam believes it comes down to the right support at the right time and m…
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Sharing our stories helps us realize we are not alone. Hearing someone else’s story can also be a great way to learn new ideas we can use in our own family’s lives. In this episode, I’m sharing the story of Adam and his family. My guests are Adam, and his mother Deb. Adam talks about moving schools from a mainstream school to a specialist school as…
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145 Why Risk Is Worth The Risk With Carol Smail from Gig Buddies Sydney
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We should all have the right to choose how we live our lives, even if that means taking risks and making mistakes. But too often people with additional needs aren’t being given opportunities to take risks and to learn from their mistakes. My guest this week Carol Smail shares her experiences of the impact this lack of choice has, as well as what ca…
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144 Why Gig Buddies Is Great with Carol Smail from Gig Buddies Sydney
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Finding friends with common interests can be difficult for anyone and for young people with additional needs it is often more challenging because their social network is smaller. That is why projects like Gig Buddies are so important as my guest in this episode Carol Smail from Gig Buddies Sydney explains. Carol not only talks about the vision behi…
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143 How can we change society’s expectations and accelerate inclusive employment opportunities? with Peter Bacon from Disability Employment Australia
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Too often low expectations for people with additional needs have translated into fewer opportunities, particularly when it comes to paid employment. For change to happen, around work, more employers are needed which means employers will need to change their attitude toward employing people with a disability. But what is also necessary is a change i…
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142 Does Inclusive Employment Just Happen? with Peter Bacon from Disability Employment Australia
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Inclusive employers change the future for our children, but there simply isn’t enough of them. In this episode with Peter Bacon, CEO of Disability Employment Australia, I’m discussing why this is the case, and what actions could be taken to get more employers to become inclusive employers. Is some form of legal framework necessary, as Peter suggest…
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141 Financial Future Series - Using a Gradual Financial Independence Approach with Graham Caldow
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In this final episode of this Finance Future series, I’m talking to Graham Caldow about the value of giving financial independence gradually and building financial skills over time. We discuss the things that have worked for our family including multiple accounts and tracking spending. Finance is just one part of our legacy to our daughter but in l…
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140 Financial Future Series - Why ABLE Accounts Help Create More Opportunities with Jill Cornfield
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Planning for the future is difficult when restrictions exist around how much money you're allowed to save. In this episode with Jill Cornfield, I’m discussing how ABLE accounts can help mitigate this restriction and enable people to think longer-term and plan their financial future. ABLE National Resource Centre Follow us on Instagram/Facebook @exp…
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139 Financial Future Series - Building Good Money Habits with Karen Hassett from PATF
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Managing our own money is challenging. The temptation to spend is never far away and we need tools and techniques that can help us make the right choices most of the time. In this second part of my conversation with Karen Hassett from PATF we are focusing on some ways to help our young people develop those money habits that will help them make bett…
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138 Financial Future Series - Taking The First Small Step with Karen Hassett from PATF
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Getting started on developing any plan can be a challenge but when it comes to our finances we can often get stuck at the first step. In this episode with Karen Hassett from PATF we talk about how to get started by thinking about a decision-making process when it comes to money and using simple ideas like tracking spending and identifying prioritie…
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137 Financial Future Series - Questions To Consider
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The financial future for young people with additional needs can be challenging. They are more likely to have lower incomes, less likely to be employed full time and government assistance can be difficult to get and even more difficult to keep. So planning ahead to create a solid financial platform is essential in this new series - Financial Future …
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136 Technology - Changing The Future Series - The Here And Now And The Next
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In this episode I’m looking back over this latest series which has focused on the role that technology plays and will play in the lives of young people with additional needs. I’ll be discussing what assistive technology really means today and talk from my own experience about how technology supports my own daughter to live the life she wants. I’ll …
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135 Technology- Changing The Future Series – Why the key is connectivity with Ben Wood from CCS Insight
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The best technology makes our lives easier and connects us with what we need. But often the different devices we use don’t connect with each other or we don’t see the value in connecting them together. In this episode with Ben Wood, from CCS Insight, we are talking about how that is going to change as companies realise they need to work together. W…
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134 Technology- Changing The Future Series – Identifying The Best Technologies To Provide The Right Support with Padhraic Dormer from Enable Ireland
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What’s the difference between a service user and a service owner? Quite a lot according to Padhraic Dormer from Enable Ireland. Padhraic explains the difference, as well as talking about his role as a virtual service support worker. He also discusses reasons why virtual services have proven to be so valuable in combatting social isolation. Padhraic…
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133 Technology- Changing The Future Series – Harnessing technology to raise expectations for independent living with Siobhan Long from Enable Ireland
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Using technology to support independent living seems an obvious choice. However, it isn’t as this week’s guest Siobhan Long from Enable Ireland explains. What we consider mainstream technology can also be assistive technology, and with this become more accessible and more affordable. Siobhan also discusses the importance of knowledge, not just how …
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132 Technology -Changing The Future Series - Why It’s About Functionality and Fun with Lee Blemings from Sensory Guru
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Technology is often developed with the focus on what it does rather than how it will be used. This week’s guest Lee Blemings explains why that approach is wrong and why it also needs to be about enjoyment, about fun, and about connecting people in a meaningful way. He also talks about AI, the impact AI has already had on creating technology solutio…
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131 Technology - Changing The Future Series – Digital Inclusion: Why It's About More Than Just Access With Jane Seale
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Even with technology all around us there are still barriers in place which lead to digital exclusion. In this episode with Jane Seale we explore some of the reasons for this and what needs to change. She discusses why attitude is so important in creating digital inclusion and why it’s not just about access to technology, it’s also about use, empowe…
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130 Technology - Changing The Future Series – Why Asking The Question Is Always The Best Option with Wendy Harkins Davis – PATF
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With technology changing so quickly, we are often unsure of what is available and what is possible. In this episode Wendy Harkins Davis of Pennsylvania Assistive Technology Foundation (PATF) explains why no question is ever wrong, and that because with so many options available most questions can be answered in the positive. Wendy and I discuss a v…
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129 Technology - Changing The Future Series - Using Everyday Technology to Support Independence with Libby Wilkins - The Oaks Specialist College
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Welcome to a new series on Technology – Changing the Future. From assistive technology to help aid communication to smart home devices that help make people safer, technology can change lives. In this first episode of the series, I’m talking to Libby Wilkins, Head of Accessibility and Digital Applications at The Oaks Specialist College. Libby outli…
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128 Planning The Journey Series - Using the VOCAL Method
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Planning the future for our children with additional needs is not only challenging, it's crucial. In this final episode of the Planning the Journey series, I’m talking about how to navigate each of the four lines Daily Living Relationships, Purpose and Financial using the VOCAL method. VOCAL stands for Vision, Options, Create, Assess and Legacy. Us…
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127 Planning The Journey Series - Financial Security - Why Enough Is Enough
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Providing financial security for our children with additional needs when we are no longer around is one of our greatest challenges. In this episode I talk about why it is achievable once we decide how much is enough. I also discuss the levels of control to consider, the tools available and the factors to consider when thinking about who will suppor…
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126 Planning The Journey Series - Why Presumption of Purpose Matters
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Having a purpose provides meaning and direction to our lives. In this episode I talk about ways to support our children to find purpose and the importance of a Presumption of Purpose. I also discuss the role of mindset in developing a presumption of purpose for both ourselves and our children. When we support our children to find purpose, paid or u…
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125 Planning The Journey Series- Managing Relationships - Using the AAA approach
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Relationships matter. Without them our young people can become isolated. We all have our stories of challenging family relationships and friendships lost. But as our children get older, we need to focus on helping them independently manage the reality of social interactions. In this episode I talk about the difference between dynamic and static rel…
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124 Planning The Journey Series - Building Daily Living Skills
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In this series I will be focusing on exploring in more depth the 4 core topics that the podcast has always focused around: daily living, relationships, purpose and financial. In this episode the focus is daily living skills. I will be sharing some techniques I used to successfully support my own daughter to build these skills. These techniques, whi…
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123 Housing Options Series - Why Choice and Community Matters
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Where will my daughter live when I’m no longer around? It’s a big question, and some of the ideas explored in the Housing Options series just might help answer that question. In this episode I discuss some of those ideas, and why we might need to rethink our assumptions around support. I also talk about why choice and community must sit at the cent…
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122 Housing Options Series - 200 Lives - Finding Out What People Actually Think
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It’s difficult to develop better housing options if we don’t know what people want and need. This week's guests Chris Hatton and Lauren Blood were involved with a research project which will in part help to address this issue. The 200 Lives project looked at the quality of supported living and residential care in England. Chris and Lauren discuss t…
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121 Housing Options - Our Stomping Ground - Inclusive Communities with Paula Manion & Donna Budway from Our Stomping Ground
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For too long housing solutions for young people with additional needs have failed to consider the importance of inclusion. This week's guests Paula Manion and Donna Budway, from Our Stomping Ground, are changing that by developing housing solutions that have inclusive communities at their heart. They discuss how the housing model has evolved, why O…
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120 Housing Options - US Autism Homes - Building With Love and Science with Lisa Liberatore
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Creating a housing model for young adults with additional needs that really works means doing things differently. This is something Lisa Liberatore from US Autism Homes understands. We discuss the three-pillar solution they developed and how that has helped create an inclusive community. Lisa also discusses the important role science can play in he…
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119 Housing Options - Everyone Needs A Community with Kathy Meyer
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Finding somewhere to live is about more than just about finding a place, it's about building a life. Community is an important part of that life and how to build communities is the topic of this episode with Kathy Meyer from Everyone Needs A Community. We talk not only about why community matters so much but also about understanding that communitie…
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118 Housing Options - Building A Supported Living Network with Lisa Brown
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Finding Supported Living that works means bringing together many things, from finding a property in the right location with the right access, to identifying a support provider and accessing the right level of support. This week's guest Lisa Brown is determined to build a network that brings together the different people and organizations involved, …
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