Michelle Jankovic couldn’t find one website with all the listings on disability support and services she needed – so she created her own.
The Berwick mother of two launched online directory Helping Hand Is Here this year as a way for carers to save time.
The site has been nominated in the favourite blog category at the 2012 AusMumpreneur Awards.
Ms Jankovic’s eldest child, Bailey, was born eight weeks premature and has cerebral palsy and an issue with his right hand.
She said the idea for the site took some time to develop but was inspired by many conversations she had with carers about how difficult it was to find disability resources.
You’re thrown into the world of disability care, but you couldn’t go to one site that had all the information you needed.
“Eight or nine years on, I realised there had to be a better way.”
“I have a background in graphic design but not in web design, so I’ve had to teach myself.”
Helping Hand Is Here includes a 15-step disability planning guide, which connects users to the top 15 resources such as the Department of Human Services, Centrelink and Medicare.
Ms Jankovic said the site’s disability survival organiser was a popular feature, as it created a free time and brought order back into the lives of busy carers.
“The time you can spend away from your child is limited – between all the therapy and check-ups, you think what do I have the time for?”
The AusMumpreneur Awards are presented by website Connect2mums, and recognise the best and brightest among women who combine bringing up children with running a business.
Voting closes at midnight on July 22, with the awards to be presented in Sydney on September 8.
Details: helpinghandishere.com.au
Visit connect2mumscommunity.com.au to vote in the awards.
