By Venudi W|Published On: July 7th, 2026|Categories: Events|

On Friday 3 July 2026, the Sir Ian McLennan Centre in Mooroopna opened its doors for the Shepparton Community Disability Expo — and once again, Help at Hand was proud to stand behind it as major sponsor. Hosted by the Disability Events Community (DEC), with support from state sponsor NDSP, the free event brought people living with disability, their families, carers and support workers together with a wide range of local providers under one roof.

For a lot of families walking through those doors, it wasn’t just an expo. It was a rare morning where finding support didn’t cost them a full day, a tank of petrol, and the energy it takes to navigate a city that isn’t home.

Regional Access, Front and Centre

For families in Regional Victoria, finding the right support can too often mean a long drive to Melbourne, paid parking and a full day away from home — on top of the appointment itself. Multiply that by every therapist, plan manager or equipment supplier a family needs to see, and “getting support” starts to look like a part-time job nobody signed up for.

The Shepparton expo flipped that equation. Instead of asking families to chase services across the state, DEC brought the services to them — parked, local, and ready to talk. It’s a model DEC has now run in dozens of regional towns across the country, and one Help at Hand is glad to keep backing, because postcode should never be the thing standing between someone and the support they need.

Local Providers, One Stop Shop

From allied health and therapy providers through to plan managers, equipment suppliers, employment services and housing solutions, attendees could move from stall to stall and get real answers to real questions.

For many, it was the first chance to compare providers side by side and figure out what actually fits their goals, rather than picking a name off a list and hoping for the best.

Built with Sensory Needs in Mind

A standout feature of these events is the dedicated quiet hour from 12pm to 1pm, with music switched off, lighting reduced and stallholders asked to lower their noise levels. For an hour, a busy expo hall softened into something calmer — no competing announcements, no overlapping music, just space to breathe.

It’s a small adjustment on paper, but for attendees with sensory sensitivities, it can be the difference between staying five minutes and staying the whole day.

A warm Welcome with Free Coffee

Nothing breaks the ice like a good coffee. The first 200 attendees through the door were treated to a free barista-made coffee, tea or hot chocolate courtesy of VMCH — a simple gesture that set a warm, welcoming tone for the whole event.

It sounds small. But for a parent who’s spent months filling out forms, chasing plan reviews and explaining their child’s needs to yet another new face, being handed a warm drink and a genuine “welcome” can be the moment the whole day shifts from stressful to hopeful.

The Ripple Effect

The impact of a day like this rarely ends when the doors close. A single conversation at a stall can turn into a therapy referral, a plan review, or simply the reassurance that a family is on the right track. Multiply that across hundreds of attendees and dozens of providers, and one Friday morning in Mooroopna quietly reshapes support networks across the whole Goulburn Valley for months to come.

That’s the real value of events like this — not just the day itself, but everything it sets in motion afterwards.

How does this connect to Ongoing NDIS Support

At Help at Hand Support Services, attending community disability expos is about more than simply showcasing our services. These events allow us to strengthen relationships within the local community, better understand the evolving needs of participants and families, and connect people with the supports that best suit their individual goals.

By participating in events like the Shepparton Community Disability Expo, we encourage informed choice, open conversations and stronger community connections. These experiences help us continue delivering personalised, high-quality NDIS support that empowers participants to live with greater independence, confidence and choice.