Ability and Ambition

02/10/2026

This week, a few of the crew headed along to the Mallee District Aboriginal Services - MDAS Colour Run.

When the MDAS team found themselves a person down at the BBQ, Karl and Byron didn't need to be asked- they jumped straight in and helped keep things moving 🌭
We received the loveliest feedback from MDAS recognising not just Karl's support, but the way he encouraged Byron to get involved, contribute and build skills along the way.

This is the stuff we LOVE.

Support doesn't always have to look like a carefully planned activity or a goal written on a piece of paper. Sometimes it looks like getting covered head-to-toe in coloured powder, having a laugh, noticing that someone could use a hand and getting amongst it.

We're bloody proud of you both 🫶

A huge thank you to the team at MDAS for another unreal event that brought the whole community together, we love your work!
We highly recommend giving their page a visit and taking a peek at the snaps they captured 📸

30/09/2026

Can you hold a conversation, show up when you say you will, have a decent sense of humour AND genuinely respect people’s right to live life their way?

The bar sounds suspiciously low, but we keep our standards high and if you think you can keep up, we want to hear from you!

Ability&Ambition is looking for Permanent Part-Time Disability Support Workers to join our crew.

Good humans, follow this link 👇

28/09/2026

Teamwork makes the dream work, right? 😂🍔🍟

03/09/2026

Supporting independence, one ride at a time!

Recently, Nikelah our Support Coordinator spent some time with one of our clients testing out an electric mobility scooter to see how it could support her to get around more independently and confidently.

Finding the right equipment is all about choice, comfort, safety and building independence and sometimes the best way to know if something is the right fit is to get out there and give it a go! ✨🦽❤️

19/08/2026

All hands on deck 🔨

We’ve been working hard behind the scenes and when we say we, we mean WE.
Participants, staff, staff's family, everyone has come in and given us a hand.
How blessed we are to have such support around us!

Not long now! 👀

13/08/2026

Our new home finally has a name with a pretty special story behind it.

Takiwātanga is the Māori word used for autism that carries the meaning “in their own space and time.”

That idea really resonated with us:
A place where people are given the space and time to be themselves.
To grow. To connect. To learn. To belong.
And to do it on their own terms.

Before moving forward with our chosen name, we sought guidance and permission from a Māori person, who also consulted with their Kaumātua — a respected elder.
We are incredibly grateful that both gave their permission for us to respectfully create and use "Watanga" as a derivative of Takiwātanga.

We acknowledge and deeply respect the Māori culture and language from which this name has been inspired, and we’re grateful for the trust that has been placed in us to carry it forward.

Watanga Place will be more than an office.
It will be a place for people.
A place for connection.
A place for opportunity.
A place where people can move through life in their own space and time.
And we reckon that feels pretty A&A.

11/08/2026

Who would've thought homework could be this much fun? 📚🌿

While we've been busy renovating our new property, supports have looked a little different than usual and sometimes, those unexpected changes create the best opportunities.

Recently, Byron and his support worker, Oliver, took homework down by the river. For Byron, a young man with a strong connection to Country, learning in a place where he feels calm, connected, and comfortable made all the difference.

By adapting to each person's strengths, interests, and culture, we can create meaningful experiences that make everyday tasks like homework more enjoyable and engaging.

Sometimes, the best classroom is the great outdoors. 💙🌱

04/08/2026

We're covered in paint and caulk, we have plaster dust in places we didn't think possible and we are on a first name basis with the Bunnings crew- We've been putting in the HOURS to turn our new home into something really special.

It's a labour of love, and while it's been incredibly exciting, it's also meant our phones, inboxes and messages haven't always been getting our usual lightning-fast attention.

Thank you for hanging in there with us while we pour our hearts (and probably a few tears) into this project. Your patience, support and encouragement mean the world.

We promise it'll all be worth it... and we absolutely can't wait to welcome you through the doors soon! 💙

24/07/2026

We've officially closed the doors to Ohana House.
It's a little bittersweet saying goodbye, but we're excited for what's next.

We're getting everything ready to welcome our incredible community to our new home and can't wait to share it with you!

To everyone who has walked through the doors over the years - Participants, families, staff and supporters - thank you for being part of this chapter and making Ohana everything that it was.

Here's to new beginnings, bigger opportunities and all that is to come. Watch this space 👀

17/07/2026

We've signed the lease 📝
We've bought the moving boxes 📦
We're ready to say "Goodbye" to Ohana and "HELLO!" to our new place 🔑
... but we still haven't picked a name 🙈

We've decided to keep the competition open until the 24th - Comment your best name suggestion for our new space and be in the draw to win a $100 Swan Hill Inc gift card PLUS an A&A Merch pack worth over $100.

We've found a new home, we've got big plans.
There's just one problem... it doesn't have a name yet.

We're handing the responsibility over to the people we trust most (and definitely won't regret giving creative control to...) YOU 😅

😎 Drop your suggestions in the comments
😎 Tell us why you chose it
😎 Our favourite entry scores a $100 voucher AND a fully sick A&A Merch pack

The new space will be a place for connection, learning, growth, community, coffee, questionable decorating decisions, and whatever else we accidentally agree to along the way- we want the name to reflect that!

Let's hear your best ideas 👇