A new three-year partnership between Diabetes Australia and the nib foundation is set to revolutionize diabetes care for people living with disabilities.
Funded through the nib foundation’s recent Better Health Partner grant, the initiative aims to equip disability support workers with specialized knowledge and practical skills to deliver safe, effective diabetes management. The funding will enable the launch of Diabetes Australia’s Safely Injecting Insulin program, a pilot training project designed to give support workers the confidence and competence to administer insulin safely.
Diabetes Australia Group CEO Justine Cain hailed the partnership as a major step toward a more equitable healthcare model.
“People living with both diabetes and disability face unique health challenges and often lack access to appropriately trained carers,” Ms Cain said. “This partnership will change lives by ensuring timely, high-quality care that improves health outcomes and quality of life.”
She added that empowering support workers with specialized skills would also help ease the burden on healthcare professionals and the wider health system.
The broader goal of the initiative is to establish a new standard of care—one where every person living with both diabetes and disability has access to properly trained carers. This approach is expected to reduce preventable complications, enable more personalized care, and significantly improve overall health outcomes.
nib foundation CEO Amy Tribe reaffirmed the organization’s commitment to reducing the impact of chronic disease and promoting equitable healthcare access.
“Our vision is for all Australians to live longer, healthier lives,” Ms Tribe said. “This partnership with Diabetes Australia perfectly aligns with our mission to invest in prevention, early intervention, and health equity.”
She expressed confidence that the collaboration would drive real change for vulnerable populations, highlighting the importance of investing in initiatives that deliver tangible health improvements.
In the long term, Diabetes Australia and nib foundation hope to leverage data from the pilot to advocate for the Safely Injecting Insulin training to become an industry-wide standard.
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