Regional NDIS information: lessons from the PossABLE Expo

PossABLE Helps Bring the NDIS to Regional Areas

By Shona · Originally published 9 August 2017

People working with notebooks and a laptop at a table

Original article and dated context

On Friday 12 and Saturday 13 May, the PossABLE Expo, hosted by IDEAS (Information on Disability Education and Awareness Services), took place in Albury to prepare the Ovens, Murray, Murrumbidgee and Riverina regions for the roll-out of the NDIS.

What is PossABLE?

The PossABLE Expos began in 2013. They were introduced to give people with disabilities, their families and carers the opportunity to see, hear and try the best local and international options to assist with their life choices.

Event Overview

Almost 40 exhibitors and 1800 attendees participated in the two day event. There was a buzz in the air at the Albury Entertainment Centre as people came into the event knowing very little about the impact that the NDIS would have on their lives. They left informed and hopeful about their future.

Attendees were encouraged to dress up in costumes and get their faces painted for the photo booth. It wasn’t just for the young at heart.

The event program consisted of:

Assistive technology mobility equipment providers
Service providers
Planners providing participants with face-to-face NDIS planning meetings
The ‘Power Room’ where attendees could hear first-hand what people with disability were saying about a good life chosen by them
Wheelchair basketball proved to be a big hit with a lot of people trying out the sport for the first time.

Other outside exhibitors included accessible sail boats, an accessible bus and therapy horses.

The Art Space hosted accessible Aboriginal art created by indigenous artist Lorraine Connelly-Northey. Lorraine created artwork from old recycled steel material such as bed frames and springs which she then turned into a range of indigenous-styled bags that were accessible for everyone to touch.

If you weren’t able to make the event, it’s not too late to get information about the NDIS to enable you to make your own life choices. To get information, talk to the disability experts at IDEAS on 1800 029 904 or contact them at www.ideas.org.au.

Shona, Ideas

Clickability editorial update: October 2026

Use an expo conversation to gather details, then compare

Bring questions about the service you need, location, access and current capacity. Ask for information you can review later and clarify whether a demonstration is ordinary participation, a clinical service or equipment advice. You do not need to make a purchase during an event.

Check any proposal against your own circumstances and current support rules. For regional support, ask about travel charges, remote delivery where appropriate and how continuity will be managed. NDIA provider-selection guidance offers a useful comparison framework.

Explain what the exhibit can and cannot demonstrate

Give accessible information about service scope, locations and capacity. Do not present a brief trial as a clinical assessment or suggest funding approval from expo participation. Obtain consent for follow-up contact and photographs, and distinguish present services from plans for expansion.

Questions readers ask

Does the article confirm another PossABLE event is scheduled?

No. It reports the 2017 event.

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