Our vision is a world where all people can live the life they want – and of course that can include love, dating and relationships. That’s why our Flexi Choices team supported Susan and Shane, long-term partners and Sunshine community members, to stay connected through the pandemic.

Susan and Shane, now both 39, have been going out since they were in their early teens. Usually, they would only see each other at the Sunshine hub and when they went along to WAM (Weekends at Mambourin) activities, as due to Susan’s health needs, she must always be supported by family or a staff member.

After a while, Susan and Shane decided they wanted more together time on the weekend with just the two of them, and they also started receiving support from our Flexi Choices team as a couple.

When the pandemic hit and we went into lockdown in 2020, it was especially difficult for Susan and Shane as they couldn’t see each other.

So, when we returned to lockdown again in 2021, our Flexi Choices team supported Susan and Shane to maintain contact with each other. Being able to stay in touch helped them both to be more relaxed and enabled them to get through the lockdown with much less stress.

When restrictions allowed, Susan and Shane were supported to meet at the park or the Sunshine hub. This gave them valuable time to reconnect. They even had a COVID lockdown birthday party when they both celebrated their birthdays in October.

Susan shared this photo with the caption: Shane and Susan 39 birthday together as One

We are now out of lockdown, but our Flexi Choices team are still supporting Susan and Shane to head out and about together on dates. They have been out for lunches, to ArtVo and even have plans to head into the Cat Café (Shane is cat-mad) soon!

Thank you for sharing your story with us, Susan and Shane!

Healthy, meaningful relationships are important for everyone. Find more information on healthy relationships when living with a disability.

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