About
A Good Life
We all strive to enjoy a good life, and people with disability must be able to do the same.
Welcome to Empowered Connections, a space to inspire, resource and connect, to build and live the life you choose.
Governed by the Valued Lives Foundation and guided by a Disability Inclusion Panel, Empowered Connections exists to support people with disability, their families and allies to live a life of connection, meaning, purpose and value. Our resources, mentoring support, groups and spaces foster connection, belonging and respect, helping people with disability to thrive at home and in the community.
What is
a Good Life
The good life is what we all strive for in life. But what do we mean by the good life? If we think about ‘what makes up the good things of life’ this is a good place to start. What is important to all of us?
- Having friends and being a friend
- being a life long learner
- having financial security
- having a job
- having a life partner
- owning a home
These are just some of the ‘things’ people identify as being important to all of us. This shouldn’t be any different for a person with disability.
Citizenship and Social Role Valorisation theory help us to understand the barriers to inclusion that people with disability may face. More importantly they help us understand what people with disability, their families and allies can seek out to live the good life of their choosing.
Capacity Building
Model for Social Inclusion & Change
Empowered Connections is a part of the National Alliance of Capacity Building Organisations (NACBO). NACBO member organisations are united based on their shared vision and belief that all people with a disability are valued citizens and have the right to contribute to society through social and economic participation. The NACBO model of capacity building is common vision and principles, which revolve around ensuring that individuals with disabilities have access to the opportunities for a fulfilling life. NACBO organisations operate both autonomously and collaboratively to implement a shared capacity-building model; the effectiveness of our model (way of working) has been proven to work. Read more about the NACBO capacity building model:
Independent Disability Advisory Panel
The Valued Lives Disability Advisory Panel is an independent panel of people with disability. The panel was established in February 2024 with the aim of amplifying the voice of peers, to inform and influence our efforts.
The following video provides further information about the Disability Advisory Panel.
Newsletter
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We send a monthly email from Valued Lives for individuals, families and communities.
