Disability Services Commission - Parliament of Western Australia

Case study
Community support makes a world of difference
Bunbury six-year-old Kasey Goddard is getting out and about more easily
these days, thanks to the generosity of her local community. Kasey has multiple
disabilities and needs assistance in all aspects of her care, meaning positional and
wheelchair support is necessary.
“As Kasey began to outgrow her car seat, matched with a new wheelchair that was
not collapsible, we needed a wheelchair-accessible vehicle,” Kasey’s mother Toni
Price said.
A local Bunbury newspaper picked up on their quest for a vehicle and the
momentum built from there. Many local community members made donations and
a magazine offered to print Kasey’s story and provide $1,000. In July 2010, Toni was
contacted by a local with fundraising experience who wanted to organise a monster
garage sale.
“With her assistance, we began collecting community donations,” Toni said. “We
were absolutely overwhelmed—our house was overflowing with donations.
The family raised more than $20,000 with a further $7,500 coming from an
Independent Living Centre grant. Two large private donations took the total figure to
almost $50,000.
“There were so many individuals and local organisations that helped contribute
to our purchase of an accessible vehicle,” Toni said. “It was a truly remarkable
community response to our situation.
“As well as meeting Kasey’s needs well into adulthood, the modified vehicle has
greatly improved her quality of life. It’s just so much easier for the family to get out
and about together.”
Kasey and her
mother Toni Price
with their new van.
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