This year, we celebrate Fighting Chance turning 15.
Fifteen years ago, Laura and Jordan O’Reilly began to imagine what the lives of people with disability could look like - prompted by the stark lack of opportunity they saw in the community.
Today, Fighting Chance has evolved into five social enterprises, providing day programs, employment pathways and housing services to people all over Australia, serving one mission: to create a truly inclusive economy, where people with disability have unbridled access to opportunity, dignity and prosperity.
To mark the occasion, we are looking at the impact we have made over the last 15 years - through the figures which tell our story and, most importantly, the lives of the people we have had the good fortune to support.
The impact in numbers
Over the past 15 years, Fighting Chance has reached more than 3,000 people with disability and their families.
In 2025 alone, our programs and services supported 1,358 participants across 18 locations in five states and territories, creating opportunities to build skills, nurture relationships, pursue meaningful work and develop greater independence.
Our employment pathway service, Jigsaw, currently supports 570 active participants as they build skills, gain work experience and work towards their employment goals, and has supported more than 350 people with disability to achieve an employment outcome.
To help us achieve our goal of changing the attitudes of Australian employers, Jigsaw has engaged over 76 corporate and government business clients, working to challenge assumptions, promote inclusive workplaces and create more employment opportunities for people with disability.
Our day services alternative, Avenue, reimagines the traditional day program model, creating opportunities for people with disability to build practical skills through innovative work and social programs. Avenue currently supports more than 720 participants across four locations in NSW, and since 2021, over $1.3 million has been generated in profit share for participants of the work program.
Plus was established in 2022 to support people with disability who have complex behaviour support needs and may face barriers accessing traditional services. Today, Plus supports 38 people with complex behaviours through its day program, while Plus Behaviour Support delivers specialist behaviour support services to 136 clients.
Our accommodation enterprise, Base Housing Collective, supports people with disability to live with greater choice, control and independence through a shared governance model. As of October 2026, Base operates homes across five locations in Sydney, with 15 housemates receiving 24/7 support.
Our impact according to survey insights
Our 2026 participant and family survey offers further insight into the impact of our services and the experiences of the people we support.
At Avenue, 73% of respondents strongly agreed that Avenue is meaningful, while 70% strongly agreed that Avenue supports skill acquisition and 63% strongly agreed that it challenges them enough to build real capability.
At Jigsaw, 72.5% of paid trainees were satisfied with their work situation all or most of the time.
Plus participants reported a strong sense of wellbeing across the board, with particularly positive results around self-acceptance, friendship and social connection, and a positive sense of independence.
The people behind the numbers
Data and statistics can show measurable impact, but it's the people behind the numbers that matter most. The real impact of Fighting Chance is best understood through the voices of the people we support and the families who see the difference firsthand.
From small achievements to life-changing milestones, we’re privileged to witness the moments that become possible when people are given the right opportunities, paired with the right support. And when we’re not there to see those moments ourselves, our families often share with us the stories that make it all worthwhile.
As we celebrate 15 years of Fighting Chance, we’re reflecting on some of our favourite stories and sharing the words of those who can speak most authentically to their own journeys: our participants and families.
Geoffrey - former Jigsaw Brisbane participant
In 2021, Geoffrey joined Jigsaw and initially struggled to stay for a full day. However, he later gained confidence and improved his workplace skills, which led him to take up a paid traineeship and then secure a permanent position as a Claims Support Officer at Allianz.
My time at Jigsaw has helped me grow in confidence and skills, and has shown me that I am more capable than I thought I could be before. I thoroughly enjoy working for Allianz, and I’m grateful to everyone who has helped me along the way.
Mikey - former Jigsaw participant
Mikey moved from working at Jigsaw to taking on a front-of-house position at the Sydney Opera House, where his duties include welcoming visitors and helping customers. The fact that he has made this change shows that gaining transferable skills and confidence can lead to opportunities for meaningful employment.
I’ve learnt that I’m resilient. There have been some ups and downs, but I’ve learnt to just take them as they come. Whether it’s people saying yes or no, I’ve just learnt to show people that I can do it. I can do the job. I’ve learnt so much from being here, and I have Jigsaw to thank for that.
Marg - mother of Lili, a Base housemate and Plus participant
For Marg, seeing her daughter Lili settle into a home where she feels happy, connected and supported was an immensely happy moment. Through Base, Lili found more than a place to live - she found a community and a sense of belonging.
It was my birthday and we had agreed to just head to the house and have a simple pizza and ice cream dinner with Lili and her housemates. Word got out, and the whole family descended. Everyone had brought something to share. There weren’t enough chairs so we dragged in outside furniture and squeezed around the table. It was a night full of food, laughter, song, dance, and pure joy. The support staff stayed well beyond their shift, the housemates were late to bed and none of that mattered. I realised, sitting at that table, that our vision for Lili’s home had been realised, we had found her people and she was so happy living a great life.
Emma - Avenue Newcastle participant
After her confidence had been harmed by a difficult time at high school, Emma discovered a renewed sense of herself at Avenue. She formed valuable friendships, took on new opportunities, and gained in confidence thanks to the supportive and empowering atmosphere there.
My greatest achievement has been making new friends through Avenue. I've gotten to know a lot of people and I really like the people here. I love that I get to hang out and get to know them. I’ve been to quite a few disability services and Avenue is the one I feel most at ease with. They know me well and I can learn a lot more in this environment.
Rachelle - former Avenue Botany participant
Rachelle joined Avenue with a goal of becoming more independent. When she expressed an interest in learning to cook, her support worker, Matt, drew on his experience as a chef to introduce weekly cooking lessons during her lunch breaks. This helped Rachelle develop practical life skills, build confidence and gain greater independence. Alongside learning to cook and travel independently, she has secured a job at Friendship Bakery, where she works two days a week. Rachelle’s journey shows how creating opportunities for learning and development can open doors to greater independence.
Matt helped me learn how to cook. I’ve made chicken wraps, chicken salad, and smoothies. I go food shopping and buy the ingredients, and then we cook together.
Jarryd - Plus Behaviour Support participant
Jarryd and his family discovered a more personalised and collaborative method of behaviour support through Plus Clinical. The team achieved this by working closely with Jarryd and his support network, making sure that he was seen as an individual with his own strengths, needs and personality.
Jarryd is a lovely person and the hardest thing for me as a parent was not wanting Jarryd to be perceived by those behaviours - he’s a person who just happens to have these behaviours. The close interaction of Plus Clinical allowed him to be seen as an individual.
James - Plus participant
Since joining Plus, James has achieved considerable progress in terms of his independence, health and social wellbeing. He has formed great friendships, established healthier routines and turned his passion for baking into a small business by selling his baked goods at Fighting Chance’s head office. He is also gaining practical skills through his work at Plus’ Mini Woolies, where he is learning how to serve customers, deal with money and use the register.
I’d like to sell more cookies to make more money, and work on my communication skills. I’m really happy here, it’s been a good year.
Looking back, moving forward
All these stories connect back to our founding vision: to see the world open up for people with disability.
Since Fighting Chance began in 2011, we’ve come a long way, and so has the broader disability landscape. The introduction of the NDIS in 2013 marked a significant shift in how people access disability support, moving toward a national, individualised funding model designed to give eligible participants greater choice and control over the support they receive.
Societal expectations of what people with disability can achieve have also evolved, alongside growing recognition of the importance of meaningful employment and equal opportunity. This progress is reflected in employment outcomes. The Australian Bureau of Statistics’ 2022 Survey of Disability, Ageing and Carers found that the proportion of working-age people with disability who were employed increased from 48% in 2018 to 56.1% in 2022.
However, there is still a long way to go and our mission is more important than ever.
Ongoing reforms to NDIS legislation are reshaping the disability support sector, requiring providers to adapt to a changing environment. Through these changes, Fighting Chance remains committed to delivering the safe, high-quality services people know and trust, championing what exceptional disability support should look like, and continually striving for better outcomes for people with disability.
As we reflect on everything we’ve achieved together over the past 15 years, we’re reminded that this is just the beginning. Imagine what we could achieve together over the next 15.