NorthAble Disability Services

Providing disability support and information in the Whangarei District and all Te Tai Tokerau.

Services include:

• Mobile Van Service which visits rural Northland; call to find out when it is in your area. 
• FREE Equipment demos available to community groups and organisations. 
• NorthAble DIAS provides friendly, independent disability information and advice. Disabled people, families, whanau, aiga, caregivers, providers and the general public can use the DIAS service. 
• NorthAble welcomes the opportunity to visit community groups and present on disability information and/or services provided.
• Support for living through Needs Assessment Service Co-ordination (NASC); and a Very High Needs service (VHN) – both Northland-wide; vocational and community participation through the LYNKZ programme (Whangarei and Dargaville).

DIAS – Disability Information Advisory Service

Independent disability information and advisory service.

Free to people with a disability,  their families, whanau, aiga, caregivers, providers and the general public. We are here to assist and answer any of your questions.  Our aim is to provide information that is relevant and useful to you.

We can link you to a range of information including support organisations and groups, education and training, recreation, equipment options, funding options, link centres, Firstport.

We welcome the opportunity to visit your organisation or community group anywhere within Te Tai Tokerau Northland and present on disability information and the services provided by NorthAble.

Pop into the shop, give us a call or sign up to our weekly newsletter by sending us an Email: dias@northable.org.nz.

You can also like our Facebook page (external link) .

NASC – Needs Assessment Service Coordination

Information and support options to assist you to meet goals, NASC is a free service provided by NorthAble for people living with a disability.

If you meet the Ministry of Health’s (MoH) eligibility criteria, NASC will meet with you to explore your support options and goals. We can then discuss the information and support options that may assist you to meet your goals. These may include:

• Manage household tasks
• Self-care
• Supported assistance in the community
• Attendance at MOH and MSD funded activity programmes
• Carer Support Subsidy providing time out for unpaid full-time carers
• Rehabilitation support
• Residential Support Services
• Support to live in your own residence

Talk to our NorthAble Needs Assessment Service Coordination Team (NASC) if you or someone you care for is 0 – 65 years old and needs long term support due to a physical, intellectual, neurological, sensory disability or autism.

You can check your eligibility or make a referral online, or give us a call to find out more.

Referrals can be made by you, the person with a disability, family/whanau, General Practitioner, Health Professional Community Agency.

NorthAble Equipment Plus

NorthAble Equipment Plus is Northland’s largest supplier of equipment and products to support people who may have a temporary or permanent impairment.

You may have experienced an accident or injury, be waiting for, or recovering from surgery, or simply ageing gracefully and finding some of those everyday tasks and activities more difficult. Whatever your situation, we have a large range of equipment to assist you available for sale and hire.

Our trained and experienced Equipment and Disability Information Consultants offer free advice on the whole range of equipment and support for daily living that we have available for purchase and hire. There is no obligation to buy.

We also specialise in providing free and informative equipment presentations and training to community groups and organisations, health groups and professionals, and the wider sector. These presentations are informative and fun while providing you with important information and tips on using equipment correctly and keeping yourself safe in your home environment and the community.

With an office in Whangarei, a mobile van service, and a NorthAble agency at Far-North Pharmacy in Kaitaia, NorthAble provides disability support and information in the Whangarei, Mid-Far North and Kaipara Districts.

Address: 73 John Street, Whangarei.

View the NorthAble Equipment Plus Website (external link) .

LYNKZ

NorthAble LYNKZ is a community-based service that works with its clients to improve their life skills and increase employment awareness and opportunities. We are based in the heart of Whangarei and have many clients who travel to partake in our daily activities.

People who attend our programme are aged between 16 and 64, who have a learning, physical, or sensory disability. Some of our clients have a combination of these. We provide daily activities from Monday to Thursday with everything from cooking classes to trips to the zoo or beach. We want all of our clients to become more confident while learning valuable skills as we engage in our community.

Our service is free to Whangarei participants who meet the Ministry of Social Development criteria, which we can provide further information on if required. Like many of or our other clients, people who may not meet MSD criteria or who have different assistance in place can work with us on a pay per activity basis.

Referrals can be made by you or your family/whanau, or maybe from another service you use, or even your medical practitioners. Download a referral form from our website or contact us for a copy.

Like and follow NorthAble LYNKZ on Facebook (external link) .

VHN

NorthAble Disability Services offers an MSD funded Very High Needs (VHN) service for clients who have Ongoing Resourcing Scheme (ORS) funding as defined by the Ministry of Education.

NorthAble Disability Services offer a VHN coordinator who will work directly with you and your family/whanau or support people to look at what extra help you might need to engage in everyday social activities and participate in your local community. NorthAble’s VHN coordinator will talk with you about your favourite hobbies, priorities, goals and aspirations, and create a plan that enables you to get out there and live your life. NorthAble’s VHN coordinator may be able to suggest activities and help you research community participation ideas based on the things you want to achieve.

To find out more, you can drop into NorthAble, ring or download the VHN referral form from our website.

View the NorthAble website (external link) .

Like and follow us on Facebook (external link) .

Navigation Services

Short term, outcomes-focused service.

NorthAble Navigation Service (NNS) aims at enabling individuals with disabilities and their family/whãnau to create a positive future for themselves. NNS facilitates interventions and support around opportunities for self-determination for families to build and maintain resilience.

Find out more about the history of navigation in Northland, what navigation is, and how to make a referral on our website.

View the Navigation Services information (external link) .

Contact details