ANIMAL FARM A DISABLED HAVEN

AN animal farm on the outskirts of Townsville is providing a fun escape for children living with a disability and parents are also noticing the benefits at home.

Located in Nome, Bentley Farm has been created with the sole purpose of helping kids who are living with a disability.

Owner Melissa Harber said their family farm was transformed into a disability support and respite retreat after seeing the positive changes in their 20-year-old son Kris, who has autism and intellectual impairments.

“He has a very low attention span. He doesn’t really engage in anything and we just noticed a change; he even grew up a bit too,” she said. “We bought the farm because we loved the lifestyle and then we just started getting a few animals, pigs, cows and that sort of stuff, and we noticed that in learning how to feed and interact with the animals, he became more independent.”

Mrs Harber runs respite and vocational care services as a Ndis-recognised provider, with plans to expand the farm further.

“We’re building a big barn at the moment, which will include mini golf, basketball, lounge rooms and recreation areas; it will be a game changer for us. We’ll be able to double our respite numbers to eight people.”

Mrs Harber said it was hard for the general community to understand the pressures parents of children with disability were under and how respite could help.

“It’s actually incredibly tiring and can wear you down, being alert 24/7,” she said.

Mrs Harber said the introduction of a work experience program would also create employment opportunities for people living with disability.