Acerca de
Our Story
The history behind IDSS
What do you get when you pair a mother and daughter both determined to make a change?
A support service that makes the difference.
In 2017, an unfortunate event caused Kahli to unexpectedly lose her vision. She was put to a halt as she realised she’d have to change the way she was living, she needed support. While searching help, they both realised the lack of options in the disability sector.
So they decided to take it upon themselves to become that support that was lacking in the community.
With Michelle’s experience in the disability field and Kahli’s in nursing and mental health, they begun the journey of creating a holistic one-stop-shop for all physical, intellectual, and psychosocial disability supports. After many late nights, hard work and help from friends and family, they opened their first IDSS Community Hub in Bundaberg in September 2017.
Without anticipating the high demand, they quickly expanded into Childers, creating another IDSS Hub a short 5 months later in February 2018.
During their first few years they noticed a pattern of little-to-no employment opportunities for people living with a disability. So they decided that once again, they'd take the matter into their own hands and started the IDSS HQE initiative: enterprises that provided employment for people living with a disability.
The Deli Bundaberg was born in July 2019 as its first initative, a cafe that serves gourmet local food while providing disabled folk a safe environment to earn a living and learn new skills.
In late 2019, they were ready to help more communities, and with that the Sunshine Coast IDSS Hub came about, along with the Winky Wonky Dog Wash: a mobile dog wash & grooming van that would provide employment for the Sunny Coast disability community.
With an employment initiative in Bundy and Sunshine Coast, they decided it was time to bring something along those lines to Childers. And so Printing With A Difference was created, a sublimation printing business that provides personalised items to the community.
Fast forward to now, IDSS has 452 participants spread across the 3 locations, they employ 22 people with a disability and have provided $469,000 in benevolent support to these communities.
They continue to make THE difference by offering education to create awareness, providing improved facilities, specialised support teams and a safe space to grow.