ndis property australia
The logo for ndis property australia disability housing specialists

The extraordinary story behind Hireup

April 26, 2022

Growing up with a brother who required round-the-clock care gave Laura and Jordan O’Reilly unique insight into Australia’s disability support sector. They decided to change it for the better.

Hireup

Read the full article on news.com.au


Laura O'Reilly will never forget hearing the thump, thump, thump of footsteps as her dad and brother Shane walked up and down the corridor in their childhood home. Shane had a profound disability and his dad, David O'Reilly, was determined to give Shane the very best start in life – including helping the little boy to exercise.


"He and my dad were thick as thieves, and they used to do a lot of things together," Laura says. "Dad was always building things and designing equipment to help Shane walk. Many of my early childhood memories are my dad supporting Shane to walk with the support of a frame he had built, or with a piece of foam between his legs while doing therapy."


Other contraptions enabled Shane to do whatever he set his mind to. On one occasion, his parents constructed an apparatus in the backyard so he could mow the lawn.


"Shane was very determined," recalls Jordan O'Reilly. "He wouldn't let it rest, until he and my parents went out and found this old wheelchair, and they worked out how to rig up a system for Shane to mow the lawn. 


“There's a photo of Shane gleefully mowing the lawn, pushing along the lawnmower with his knee block on his wheelchair, and it was just an amazing moment. And it's just one of many examples of my family thinking outside the box, thinking more creatively and allowing Shane to be the leading role in his own life."


Read more...

You might also like

By MINH LE March 18, 2025
NDIS Quarterly Report (Q2 2024-25) highlights SDA growth. Including trends in fraud prevention, faster approvals, tighter compliance, and oversupply risks in outer metro areas.
Melbourne SDA Housing
By MINH LE February 20, 2025
Explore NDIS property investment in Melbourne. Learn about SDA housing demand, funding (S48 & S100), high-demand suburbs, and strategies for success.
By MINH LE February 7, 2025
Severe under-supply of SDA homes in NSW offers high-demand opportunities for NDIS property investors, with stable government-backed rental returns.
More Posts
Share by: