Doable's Unexpected Journey
On 1 September, our CEO Toni Stewart went on the air, joining radio hosts Julie and Tina in the RPP FM studio as their special guest on The Unexpected Journey.
The radio show celebrates disability support providers and people with lived experience across the Mornington Peninsula, and the hosts welcomed Toni by describing Doable as an organisation "committed to making an ordinary life doable for their entire community."
They were quick to add, "I love that little pun."
So do we! Here's what our CEO had to say.
Where it all began
Doable started 50 years ago with a group of families who wanted something better for their kids.
“The founding families did an extraordinary amount of fundraising back in the day and started the organisation by buying some land and building some homes around Red Hill,” Toni said.
That history runs deep across the Peninsula. “Every time you talk to somebody, you end up finding that there’s someone that’s had a history with the organisation.”
“And it’s a good history too,” the hosts agreed.
Why “Doable”?
In December last year, Focus Individualised Support Services became Doable Australia. The name didn’t come from nowhere. It came from a research piece with families, staff
and community members about what a name should mean.
Keeping the new name secret for six months wasn’t easy. “The amount of conversations I’d have with people where they would just go, ‘Oh my God, yes, that’s so doable.’ And I’d go, ‘I know, right?’”
A new name doesn’t mean leaving the past behind, though. “We’ve got a really rich history that we like to celebrate as well,” Toni said. “Our history is just as important.”
From fire to front and centre
About 14 months ago, a fire broke out at the Cool Stores, where our office had been for six years.
Finding a new home took time, but it was worth the wait. Our new office at Somerville Central Shopping Centre gives us something we’ve never had before.
“It is the first time the organisation has been in a space that is truly front and centre to the community.”
“That is a really great spot,” the hosts said. “Easy to find, lots of parking.”
Toni summed up the journey perfectly: “It has been such a challenge, but at the same time, so rewarding. And doable. So doable.”
Less admin, more support
With the NDIS constantly changing, Doable built its own system, called Lens, to keep up.
The goal was clear from the start. “We want the people we support to receive supports without the staff feeling like they’re constantly having to do admin.”
And it’s already paying off.
A new staff app for rosters and leave is also on its way. As Toni put it, “I don’t want our staff to be spending time on admin. But we need the data.” And the name? “We just need a lens into our business.”
An ordinary life for every person
Toni has been supporting people with disability since 1992, back when institutions were still common. She described it as a sliding door moment.
“You either become ingrained in the negativity, or you actually see the purpose of what a person wants to achieve in their life. You take that road and make sure that a person with disability has the ordinary life they deserve to live: being part of their own community, achieving their own goals and living life the way they want to.”
She also left us with a question worth asking: “What is it that we do today that in 20 years we’ll look back on and say, ‘Wow, that was what was acceptable back then?"
More than an op shop
Our op shops have a story of their own. In the early 1970s, families who wanted their child on the organisation’s waitlist were asked to volunteer at the Kindilan Op Shop in Mont Albert. It’s still running today with 80 volunteers.
Today, our Frankston op shop on Playne Street gives the people we support a chance to build skills for their own jobs, and the community has been incredibly generous. “We have a warehouse of goods up at Red Hill because we can’t hold it all in the shop!”
The hosts gave it a glowing review: “You definitely get greeted with a big smile and lots of friendly people.”
We’re also proud to partner with Frankston Softball Club, where people we support run the canteen. The club was recently recognised with a Vic Sports Award for inclusivity.
What’s next
After a big couple of years, Toni is ready to focus on what matters most. “We can now get on with doing what we do best, which is providing supports to people.”
And what does she love about the work? “I love seeing people thrive and being given the opportunities, they deserve to be themselves and do what’s important to them.”
That care extends to families too. “Our job is to make families feel that we are there for them as much as we are for the people we support.”
Come and say hello!
We’d love to see you at our new office:
Shop 4, Somerville Central Shopping Centre (on the corner, under Anytime Fitness)
You can also catch us at Julie Fisher’s disability expo on Saturday 17 October, 11am–3pm.
A huge thank you to Julie, Tina and RPP FM for having us.
You can listen to the full episode here:
An ordinary life is #doable🤝
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