Meet the NDIS Blackbelt™
| a mother, carer, disability sector professional and a jiu-jitsu purple belt |
Amy Gray’s authentic industry insights make her a giant in the field. Providers who leverage her expertise will rise above the rest.
Early Challenges
Amy’s Daughter, Illyana, was born into a world where support was limited, prompting her to learn to navigate life independently from a young age. These early challenges cultivated her resilience and independence.
Impact Of NDIS
As the NDIS was introduced, Illyana and her family experienced firsthand the transformative impact of accessible support services. This era marked a turning point in their lives, offering new opportunities and hope.
Sector Career
Throughout her career in the sector, Amy observed internal flaws, cultural challenges, and their profound effects on the community. These experiences deeply influenced her perspective and fueled her determination to advocate for change.
Blackbelt is Born
Driven by a commitment to improve disability services, Amy courageously left the sector, leading to the creation of the NDIS Blackbelt program. Now, she empowers providers and champions excellence in the industry.
The Bad
| Amy Gray |
Amy’s path has not been without its challenges. She has witnessed firsthand the flaws within the system, including inadequate training, burnout among support staff, and a lack of understanding of the disability community. These issues have often led to dissatisfaction among participants and high turnover rates among providers. Despite these obstacles, Amy has remained steadfast in her mission to bring about positive change.
The Good
| Amy Gray |
Amy Gray’s journey in the disability sector is filled with moments of triumph and impact. With nearly two decades of lived experience and professional expertise, she has made a significant difference in the lives of countless individuals. From advocating for better services to developing innovative training programs, Amy’s dedication to elevating service quality and fostering genuine connections has set a new standard of excellence in the industry.
The Ugly
| Amy Gray |
In her relentless pursuit of service quality, Amy has faced some harsh realities. She has had to make tough decisions, including hiring, firing, and retraining countless support workers. The resistance to change and the deeply ingrained issues within the sector have sometimes made her journey a lonely and difficult one. However, these experiences have only strengthened her resolve to create the NDIS Blackbelt program, a beacon of hope and empowerment for providers striving to deliver the best possible services.
The Bad
| Illyana |
Illyana has faced significant adversity throughout her life. Being non-verbal, she has often been misunderstood and mistreated in traditional models of person-centered care. Assumptions were made about her abilities without attempts to appropriately read her body language or use other forms of communication. These experiences have underscored the urgent need for better understanding and training within the disability sector.
The Good
| Illyana |
Illyana’s spirit shines brightly, bringing joy to everyone around her. Despite the numerous challenges she faces daily, her sweet smile can light up any room. One of the most memorable moments was her participation in a BJJ tournament demonstration, where she stole the show and became the highlight of the day. She also loves rocking the tap dancing floor and hanging out with her small network of horses, rabbits and dogs. Her resilience and positivity are a constant source of inspiration.
The Ugly
| Illyana |
Illyana’s journey has been marked by some truly harrowing experiences. There have been instances where she had seizures in public places, such as restaurants, where bystanders shockingly walked over her body without offering assistance. These moments have been incredibly tough for both Illyana and her mother, who has been by her side through it all. Additionally, there was a time when they barely survived an invasion of seagulls while trying to enjoy chips, adding a bizarre twist to their list of challenges. Despite these ordeals, Illyana’s strength and her mother’s unwavering support have seen them through.
7 Years Ago, I joined a Fight Gym.
I joined this gym with ZERO experience.
ZERO confidence.
ZERO technical knowledge.
But after watching my son, overcome many obstacles and continue to showup. I knew this was something I must do.
This gym was filled with dominant males, intimidating figures and only a very small amount of females would train there.
It was gym, where no matter how small you were, they would treat you the same as their most skilled competitors.
It was a “Figure It Out”, as quickly as possible, or suffer every session you went to. Get choked out, squished and your ego checked every SINGLE day.
But you see, the arts they taught (Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and MMA) were built around the premise: by using technical ability, you would be able to subdue and defend against a much larger and stronger opponent.
And while this sounds simple. It is extremely technical and takes an average of 10-12years (training 3-4 times per week) to reach the rank of Blackbelt.
And you must be able to ‘execute’ the techniques against a ‘live’ and equally skilled opponent. (not like other arts, where you are graded purely on “knowing” the techniques)
So you can imagine the difficult challenge I had set for myself.
You have to be able to implement practical knowledge that can ONLY be achieved through Live training. In other words- Lived Experience.
So when I talk about lived experience and the importance of this in Disability Provider Care. This is part of what I’m talking about.
It’s the MOST important part of the Provider puzzle.
I am blessed that while I’m still on the journey to Blackbelt in Jiu-jitsu and have lots to learn.
The almost 20 yrs Lived experience with my daughter Illyana, as her carer of high-intensity supports, living and breathing this lifestyle, has given me the level of care that allows me to help others become blackbelt providers too.
My Relentless Pursuit.
CONSULTANCY WITH AMY
Are you interested to know more about Amy and the NDIS Blackbelt™ Program?
Amy is always excited to help other providers and organisations within the disability industry to share her expertise, knowledge and insight to what over nearly 2 decades in the industry has provided.
Amy Gray’s authentic industry insights make her a giant in the field. Providers who leverage her expertise will rise above the rest.
Early Challenges
Amy’s Daughter, Illyana, was born into a world where support was limited, prompting her to learn to navigate life independently from a young age. These early challenges cultivated her resilience and independence.
Impact Of NDIS
As the NDIS was introduced, Illyana and her family experienced firsthand the transformative impact of accessible support services. This era marked a turning point in their lives, offering new opportunities and hope.
Sector Career
Throughout her career in the sector, Amy observed internal flaws, cultural challenges, and their profound effects on the community. These experiences deeply influenced her perspective and fueled her determination to advocate for change.
Blackbelt is Born
Driven by a commitment to improve disability services, Amy courageously left the sector, leading to the creation of the NDIS Blackbelt program. Now, she empowers providers and champions excellence in the industry.
The Good
| Amy Gray |
Amy Gray’s journey in the disability sector is filled with moments of triumph and impact. With nearly two decades of lived experience and professional expertise, she has made a significant difference in the lives of countless individuals. From advocating for better services to developing innovative training programs, Amy’s dedication to elevating service quality and fostering genuine connections has set a new standard of excellence in the industry.
The Bad
| Amy Gray |
Amy’s path has not been without its challenges. She has witnessed firsthand the flaws within the system, including inadequate training, burnout among support staff, and a lack of understanding of the disability community. These issues have often led to dissatisfaction among participants and high turnover rates among providers. Despite these obstacles, Amy has remained steadfast in her mission to bring about positive change.
The Ugly
| Amy Gray |
In her relentless pursuit of service quality, Amy has faced some harsh realities. She has had to make tough decisions, including hiring, firing, and retraining countless support workers. The resistance to change and the deeply ingrained issues within the sector have sometimes made her journey a lonely and difficult one. However, these experiences have only strengthened her resolve to create the NDIS Blackbelt program, a beacon of hope and empowerment for providers striving to deliver the best possible services.
The Good
| Illyana |
Illyana’s spirit shines brightly, bringing joy to everyone around her. Despite the numerous challenges she faces daily, her sweet smile can light up any room. One of the most memorable moments was her participation in a BJJ tournament demonstration, where she stole the show and became the highlight of the day. She also loves rocking the tap dancing floor and hanging out with her small network of horses, rabbits and dogs. Her resilience and positivity are a constant source of inspiration.
The Bad
| Illyana |
Illyana has faced significant adversity throughout her life. Being non-verbal, she has often been misunderstood and mistreated in traditional models of person-centered care. Assumptions were made about her abilities without attempts to appropriately read her body language or use other forms of communication. These experiences have underscored the urgent need for better understanding and training within the disability sector.
The Ugly
| Illyana |
Illyana’s journey has been marked by some truly harrowing experiences. There have been instances where she had seizures in public places, such as restaurants, where bystanders shockingly walked over her body without offering assistance. These moments have been incredibly tough for both Illyana and her mother, who has been by her side through it all. Additionally, there was a time when they barely survived an invasion of seagulls while trying to enjoy chips, adding a bizarre twist to their list of challenges. Despite these ordeals, Illyana’s strength and her mother’s unwavering support have seen them through.
7 Years Ago, I joined a Fight Gym.
I joined this gym with ZERO experience.
ZERO confidence.
ZERO technical knowledge.
But after watching my son, overcome many obstacles and continue to showup. I knew this was something I must do.
This gym was filled with dominant males, intimidating figures and only a very small amount of females would train there.
It was gym, where no matter how small you were, they would treat you the same as their most skilled competitors.
It was a “Figure It Out”, as quickly as possible, or suffer every session you went to. Get choked out, squished and your ego checked every SINGLE day.
But you see, the arts they taught (Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and MMA) were built around the premise: by using technical ability, you would be able to subdue and defend against a much larger and stronger opponent.
And while this sounds simple. It is extremely technical and takes an average of 10-12years (training 3-4 times per week) to reach the rank of Blackbelt.
And you must be able to ‘execute’ the techniques against a ‘live’ and equally skilled opponent. (not like other arts, where you are graded purely on “knowing” the techniques)
So you can imagine the difficult challenge I had set for myself.
You have to be able to implement practical knowledge that can ONLY be achieved through Live training. In other words- Lived Experience.
So when I talk about lived experience and the importance of this in Disability Provider Care. This is part of what I’m talking about.
It’s the MOST important part of the Provider puzzle.
I am blessed that while I’m still on the journey to Blackbelt in Jiu-jitsu and have lots to learn.
The almost 20 yrs Lived experience with my daughter Illyana, as her carer of high-intensity supports, living and breathing this lifestyle, has given me the level of care that allows me to help others become blackbelt providers too.
My Relentless Pursuit.
CONSULTANCY WITH AMY
Are you interested to know more about Amy and the NDIS Blackbelt™ Program?
Amy is always excited to help other providers and organisations within the disability industry to share her expertise, knowledge and insight to what over nearly 2 decades in the industry has provided.