Some outback Queensland families are making the heartbreaking call to move away from their small communities due to a lack of disability services. Locals are calling for better accommodation options and support to be able to stay in the towns they love.
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00:00Adam Ballard is somewhat of a local celebrity in Longreach.
00:07He's grown up helping at the footy club and is obsessed with rodeos.
00:11People know Adam and we have no idea who they are.
00:14But we're Adam's mum and dad.
00:16But his idyllic Outback lifestyle is coming to an end.
00:20OK.
00:21The 34-year-old has Williams Syndrome
00:24and as his parents get older they've made the painful decision to leave the town they love.
00:29Life for Adam in Longreach growing up has been fantastic.
00:34He's much loved, very well known, very safe.
00:37But where we are at the moment the future's not here.
00:41His mum Paula Ballard has tried for years to find a solution to be able to stay.
00:46But despite her best efforts their home won't be suitable for Adam when they're not around.
00:52We've decided that our time is nearly up.
00:56Yeah, so relocating is the first step.
00:59Longreach local Daisy Walton is legally blind and has autism.
01:04Her family says there's a lack of services on offer, like group activities or help with employment.
01:10Just because we're a long way away from the coast doesn't mean to say that we are any less worthwhile than anybody else.
01:18Local service providers say due to the small number of people living with disability in the Outback and a limited workforce,
01:25it's very difficult to build appropriate housing.
01:28The focus is now on working with families to understand their options.
01:33It's just a different type of thinking and extending upon that it's about us educating the community,
01:40educating families and people with disability on what those accommodation options look like.
01:45For more information, visit www.fema.org