From the beginning of time, we’ve depended upon communities to provide us with connection and deliver the wellbeing benefits that come from it.
You’ve probably experienced it yourself – a time when an off-the-cuff conversation or a simple piece of advice changed the course you were on, fixed a problem you had, or maybe even saved your life.
The good news is, today we can connect to more people than ever before and build communities in the online world that expand our horizons almost limitlessly.
From Facebook Groups – used by more than 1.8 billion people every month – to topic-specific chat rooms and the virtual worlds created through online gaming, communities of people who may never meet in real life are springing up worldwide. And that means an enormous array of insights, advice and support is on offer and available at the click of a button.
But, just as there are risks to opening the door to your home to anyone and everyone, so too are there challenges posed by accessing the virtual world.
Many online communities slowly turn into places to criticise and vent – and because of that, they’re often not inclusive. What that means is that although the virtual space offers more and more conversations for web users to tap into, there are only a limited number where people can truly expect to be heard and supported.
A free-to-access community that’s close-knit, solutions-focused, and there to lift its members up is great for everyone – but especially for vulnerable groups or those requiring a little extra support.
Connection to others became vital in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, when people around the world were more isolated than ever before, and those with disability often found themselves alone for extended periods and unable to tap into their usual support networks.
Against that backdrop, My Plan Manager launched Kinora, an award-winning online community built for people with disability, their supporters and providers.
In Kinora, you can find like-minded people with similar interests, experiences and challenges – and connect with providers and subject matter experts with the experience to help you get the most out of life. You may not know them, but inside the moderated community you can swap advice and experiences and know you’re not alone.
The Kinora community creates possibilities, offers answers, and provides pathways to achieving better outcomes. It utilises the power of the collective to help remove roadblocks.
And best of all, it’s a positive space, because it was built for one purpose only – to give and receive support – and that purpose has been honoured and carried into the Kinora culture from day one.
Inside Kinora, you can tap into hundreds of conversations to pull out insights and information as you need it. If you’re having trouble in a particular area, you can search that topic in Kinora to see what people have said. Simply type your topic into the search bar and the relevant conversation threads will come up.
If you have a burning question about disability or the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), you can post it and ask the Kinora community to respond. In a community that currently includes more than 10,000 people, there’s a lot of expertise to access and an abundance of opportunities to remove a sticking point fast.
In a deep sea of providers, it can be difficult to find the right one for you. If you want a referral or a recommendation, simply start a new conversation and ask the community for help. Or take a look at the Kinora marketplace, where you can search hundreds of providers by category or keyword.
And don’t forget, joining the Kinora community won’t cost you a cent. It’s completely free!
Leverage the power of community today at www.kinora.com.au.
