She was the first person from the Manning to be accepted into the scheme, which has been described as the biggest change socially in Australia since the introduction of Medicare.

What it means for Bridgette is more choice and control over her future.

She will be able to choose her service provider, how her funding will be spent, what support she wants and what her future looks like.

The biggest change with the NDIS is that service providers will no longer hold funds, the National Disability Insurance Agency (which runs NDIS) will.

Bridgette has been a client of House With No Steps for the past eight years.

She lives in a group home in Taree, which she loves, and is an active member of the community, working at Lifeline on Mondays and Fridays and participating in a day program three days a week which sees her undertaking activities including swimming at the YMCA Manning Aquatic Leisure Centre and nurturing her interest in digital photography during weekly group outings.

House With No Steps Mid North Coast Community engagement officer Jon Vine said the NDIS will be a big change for service providers.

“The people we support will be our customers and they will have the choice of provider.

“We also don’t hold the funding and we will be billing the NDIA for services.”

While the changes are big within how the national disability system will operate, it is designed to be a smooth transition for NDIS participants.

“The idea is for them to receive the same sort of support they have now and then over the next 12 months learn more about it and fine-tune how they want things,” said Jon. 

“They are the ones who make decisions about how their life is and it puts people with a disability more into the mainstream experience and skills, with support.”

Bridgette underwent her assessment with local area co-ordinators a few weeks ago, who then passed on her information to the NDIA.

Her future looks bright.