For people with disabilities, their health needs and their experiences of living with a disability are often the impetus for joining a support group.

More people are joining support groups than ever before.

Several societal trends have led to this growing interest in support groups. These include the shift away from institutional care to care in the community and home, and the growing interest family-centred services.

Support groups have three basic aims:

(a) Person to person support - Participation in a support group allows members to interact with those who share the same experiences and stresses. Members may seek support groups to gain emotional support in addition to that available from their family, to reduce their sense of isolation, and to obtain help with coping;

(b) Information sharing - People can also gain further information and understanding of their disability, as well as information about available services; and

(c) Advocacy for better services - Advocacy is the third key function of support groups. It has been suggested that empowerment achieved through self-help groups encourages members’ involvement in activities such as lobbying government agencies for funding, or changing environmental barriers.

As people are better enabled to deal with certain aspects of their lives, the skills and positive feelings they acquire may spread, empowering them to deal with other aspects of their lives. This empowerment is tied to members desire to gain control over circumstances in their lives and to become active agents in their own care. In particular, members may develop a greater sense of self-efficacy or mastery with respect to meeting their special needs.

Disability Services Queensland has a website that includes a Disability Information Service. By simply typing in the type of service required and the town or postcode that you live in you will receive a list of appropriate services in your region.

http://www.disability.qld.gov.au/disability-information