10 Years of My Supports – and its just the beginning

The year 2025 marks a decade since My Supports was founded!

The drawing below, created in 2019 by our talented support worker Jorden (@gutless_jim), illustrates the early days of My Supports and how it all began.

The journey began 10 years ago with My Supports founders—Terry and Jim, both wheelchair users, and Rex, a carer for his mother with MS. With firsthand experience of disability, they understood the genuine need for better disability services.

One evening, Terry, who had worked with the NDIA in eastern Australia, gathered Jim and Rex after moving to Western Australia and declared, “I’ve been working on this thing with the government, it’s very good and positive and I think we should get in on it.” After a few drinks, what seemed like an ambitious idea quickly transformed into an action plan.

Enthusiastic and determined, they rented a building strategically positioned across from the NDIS office in Midland, WA. This became the headquarters where they began recruiting friends, fellow disability advocates, and occasionally even staff from the neighbouring coffee shop who were inspired by their vision. In those early days, the office lacked even basic infrastructure—no dedicated phone number, with furniture largely second-hand, assembled by staff and family members. One particularly memorable image was an early support worker in his wheelchair, constructing a ramp at the front of the office.

Humble beginnings, certainly, but filled with passion and purpose.

As client numbers began to increase and the team desperately needed more staff, Terry was already envisioning a national presence. Before all operational foundations were fully established, Terry embarked on an adventure, driving his Volkswagen Golf with his wheelchair to the eastern states to build networks and expand the organisation across Australia.

Fast forward 10 years, My Supports has evolved into a mature, reliable, and well-established organisation. While much has changed in terms of scale and structure, our culture still carries the spirited essence of those pioneering days—driven by authentic passion, lived experience, and an unwavering commitment to the disability community!