By Meredith Baylis

For many people accessing the NDIS, true inclusion is about more than services and appointments. It’s about belonging, connection, confidence, and having meaningful opportunities within the community.

That’s where Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) and NDIS Support Coordination can work powerfully together.

While both approaches operate differently, they share an important goal: helping people build strengths, independence, and community participation.

What is Asset-Based Community Development?

Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) is a community-building approach that focuses on strengths rather than deficits.

Instead of asking, “What’s missing?” ABCD asks:

• What strengths already exist?
• Who are the connectors in the community?
• What local resources, groups, and relationships can support inclusion?

ABCD recognises that every person has gifts, skills, experiences, and something valuable to contribute.

Community assets can include:

• Local clubs and sporting groups
• Men’s Sheds and community gardens
• Libraries and neighbourhood centres
• Cultural organisations
• Volunteer groups
• Peer networks
• Local businesses and faith communities

The goal is to strengthen informal networks and increase opportunities for meaningful participation.

What is NDIS Support Coordination?

Support Coordination helps participants understand and implement their NDIS plan.

A Support Coordinator works alongside participants to:

• • Connect with services and providers
  • Build capacity and independence
  • Navigate systems and funding
  • Strengthen decision-making skills
  • Problem-solve barriers to accessing supports
  • Increase confidence in managing supports over time

Good Support Coordination goes beyond simply arranging services. It focuses on helping people build sustainable supports that improve quality of life.

How ABCD and Support Coordination Work Together

When combined, ABCD and Support Coordination can create more wholistic and community-focused outcomes.

1. Mapping Strengths and Assets

ABCD starts by identifying strengths, interests, and community assets.

Support Coordinators can use this information to better understand the participant’s goals, preferences, and natural supports.
For example:

• A participant interested in gardening may connect with a community garden
• Someone passionate about music may join a local choir or social group
• A person looking for routine and connection may benefit from volunteering opportunities

Rather than relying solely on paid supports, the focus expands to include meaningful community participation.

2. Building Informal Support Networks

Strong informal networks are essential for long-term wellbeing.

ABCD encourages relationship-building through local connections and peer-led initiatives.

Support Coordinators can act as connectors by:

• Introducing participants to local groups
• Encouraging community participation
• Identifying welcoming and inclusive spaces
• Supporting confidence to engage socially

These connections often lead to:

• Increased confidence
• Reduced isolation
• Greater independence
• Improved mental wellbeing
• Stronger community belonging

3. Promoting Inclusive Community Participation

One of the biggest barriers many people face is not a lack of ability — it’s inaccessible or unwelcoming environments.

ABCD encourages communities to become more inclusive and responsive.

Support Coordinators can champion alongside participants by:

• Encouraging accessible practices
• Helping community groups understand inclusion
• Identifying barriers to participation
• Supporting reasonable adjustments

Together, these approaches help create communities where people are genuinely included, not just present.

4. Supporting Capacity Building

Both ABCD and Support Coordination focus on capacity building.

This means helping people:

• Develop skills
• Build confidence
• Strengthen relationships
• Increase independence
• Take active roles in their communities

Rather than creating dependency on services, the emphasis shifts toward empowerment and sustainable supports.

Real-World Example

Imagine a participant whose goal is to improve social connection and confidence.

A traditional approach may focus only on funded social support programs.

An ABCD-informed Support Coordinator might also:

• Explore the participant’s interests and strengths
• Identify local clubs or hobby groups
• Connect them with peer networks
• Encourage participation in community activities
• Support gradual confidence-building in natural settings

Over time, the participant may develop friendships, routines, confidence, and informal supports that continue beyond funded services.

Why This Approach Matters

The NDIS is designed to support choice, control, independence, and community participation.

ABCD complements these goals by recognising that strong communities are built through relationships, contribution, and inclusion.

When Support Coordination incorporates ABCD principles, outcomes can become:

• More person-centred
• More sustainable
• More community-focused
• More empowering
• Less dependent on formal systems alone

This approach supports not only participants, but stronger and more inclusive communities overall.

Final Thoughts

Asset-Based Community Development and NDIS Support Coordination are not separate ideas competing with one another.

They are complementary approaches that, when combined, can create meaningful and lasting outcomes.

By focusing on strengths, relationships, and community connection, Support Coordinators can help participants move beyond service systems and toward genuine belonging.

Inclusion happens best when communities recognise the value every person brings — and when supports help people connect to those opportunities in ways that are meaningful to them.