About Us
We educate, We connect and we resource people
Unforeseen things happen in life. Ability Links was born out of the unexpected experience Mark Pietsch had experiencing the gaps in services after acquiring a disability.
Mark has worked in the Community Services sector as a youth worker in schools, in the community and as a NDIS Support Coordinator for a couple of organisations. From this he found that many organisations lack the resources, programs, and technology to help people overcome barriers.
Ability Links was formed when the NSW state government program of the same name ceased. Mark saw an opportunity to start a Social Enterprise from the ground up that is centred on linking people to their community, support and resources. We hope this will help people build stability to be able to best enjoy their future.
The team at Ability Links are proud NDIS Nerds that leverage out-of-the-box thinking to get things done.
Mark Pietsch (far right) meeting with Physical Disabilities Australia members in Canberra including Andrew Fairbairn, Paul Wiliamson and Kerry Allen-Zinner
A Note From Mark
Hi there!
I’m Mark. I started Ability Links with the vision to have a positive impact on the disability community. We have a network of Support Services throughout the Illawarra and Shoalhaven regions.
As an NDIS participant myself and as a disability advocate I have had a wide and varied experience. I know the struggle there can be to find people that understand the barriers that face the disability community.
I have 12 years of experience in Community Services and have a passion for equity. I’m a massive NDIS nerd. I love to go in-depth into all the finer details of the scheme and use my lived experience navigating the scheme. My passion for technology and systems has helped to create out-of-the-box solutions for unique situations.
People with disabilities and their carers understand the barriers our community faces. We are uniquely placed to best support others with disabilities to find their voice. Because of this, I have grown a team of experienced disability champions hired from within the disability community to be in the corner of the people we support.
Mark Pietsch
Founder
-We Stand for a Fair Go-
“Everyone deserves a better tomorrow.”
Our mission is to highlight the abilities of all people and to actively work to reduce barriers faced by the disability community through education, support and connection to resources to assist in bridging the equity gap.
Ability Links has a focus on building social capital, opportunities and skills. We assist participants and their loved ones to be in control and informed when navigating NDIS and mainstream supports.
Our team are inclusive and acknowledges individuality and promotes creative out-of-the-box thinking by coaching participants on ways of implementing their plan. We do this by being person-centric, impartial and independent service connecting people with the best fit for them.
Explore Our Offerings
Discover the Services We Provide
At Ability Links, we focus on empowering individuals by providing comprehensive support tailored to their unique needs.
Learn More about Peer Mentorship
Learn More about Key Worker Service
Explore Our Support Workers
Find Out About NDIS Services
Why choose us?
“We believe in equity and will always work to actively to address barriers and advance inclusion for people that experience disabilities”
- You can expect our team to be friendly and responsive. We answer our phones and emails fast!
- Our team are NDIS Nerds, we love keeping up to date on new changes and best practices to help our participants get great results.
- As people that know the impact a disability can have, we are passionate about what the NDIS can achieve when funding and services are used well.
We think outside the box and find ways to make the most of the funding you have and help you to get the funding you need.
Discretion, Privacy and Confidentiality
We understand that everyone deserves privacy. All Ability Links staff, volunteers and contractors are committed to our privacy policy. We aim to be discrete and can modify our services to operate in a way that respects your wishes. This can be done via a reasonable adjustments request. This could be as simple as not wearing badges or clothing that identifies us as being disability support providers. We will always respect your dignity and right to decide who and when your information is shared within the limitations outlined in our confidentiality policy. Our confidentiality policy can be viewed here.
