Support For People Living With Disability

We’re member governed, ensuring that our customers’ needs always come first.

Enhanced Lifestyles was formed in 1990 by a group of individuals living with their own disability. This group previously lobbied for funding in 1982, allowing them to form the Disabled Independent Persons of South Australia (DIPSA).

Two key lobbyists from the South Australian Council of Social Services (SACOSS) established an incorporated body to form a company, Community Independence Association (CIA) in 1983.

The CIA Board was also comprised of people living with disabilities who used the service themselves, birthing the framework of an entirely user-led organisation. This was a revolutionary concept: members were offered choice and control of their services, empowering those with disabilities to access a new level of autonomy within their lives, long before the NDIS rollout.

The CIA Board also applied for funds to create a second organisation, South Australian Independent Lifestyles (SAIL). This allowed for 15-20 people to receive in-home support per year. These two organisations coexisted for a decade.

In 1990, the Board identified the need for continued growth in order for operations to remain feasible. This led to the merger of CIA and SAIL, creating Enhanced Lifestyles. Today, the organisation continues to be one of Australia’s longest-running user-led and tailored service providers, a badge the organisation wears with honour.

This history is evident in the way Enhanced Lifestyles remains member-governed today.

Our Board

Individuals living with a disability who also use our services sit on our Board. This fundamentally influences every aspect of our operation: our support services are grounded in a genuine understanding of our customer’s needs. The Enhanced Lifestyles Board is responsible for determining the organisation’s strategic direction, including its legal and financial obligations.

Our Board members are elected by our customers to serve as their representatives. At Enhanced Lifestyles, our customers are truly at the forefront, guiding the development of plans and directives that can directly add value to our community through their lived experiences.