About PQSA

Purpose

We support and empower South Australians living with spinal cord injury and other disabilities to choose how they live their potential.

As a benevolent organisation and registered NDIS provider, PQSA is run by a team of passionate and dedicated staff and volunteers who work together to provide relief to people living with disability and to enable them to fully participate in the community.

We are a Company Limited by Guarantee and represent our community to influence effective change, to remove barriers to good living, and to uphold the rights of people living with disability.

HomeCare+

We provide individualised and quality in-home services that are accessible to the broader disability community, through one of our service divisions, HomeCare+.

Click here for more information.

Our Vision

We will create equal opportunities for inclusion and participation.

PQSA Constitution

The Paraplegic & Quadriplegic Association of South Australia Ltd (PQSA) Constitution is available to read here.

Our Values

We strive to ​conduct ourselves, in everything we do, according to our set of five key ​values.

  • Excellence - ​We always achieve the highest quality and consistently go above and beyond
  • Innovation - ​We are brave and creative. It’s OK to challenge the status quo. We lead by standing out
  • Responsiveness - ​We get positive outcomes by anticipating, acknowledging, informing and acting
  • Equality - ​We treat everyone fairly and with dignity and respect
  • Ethical Behaviour - ​We are honest, fair, diligent and trustworthy. We live our values.

Our Patrons

Her Excellency the Honourable Frances Adamson AC Governor of South Australia and Mr. Rod Bunten are jointly patrons of the Paraplegic and Quadriplegic Association of SA.

Strategic Elements

PQSA's Strategic Elements

History

PQSA, first known as The Paraplegic Association, was established on 3 June 1963. Initially run by volunteers, our primary role was advocacy for those requiring a wheelchair for mobility. As demand grew for our services, the Association expanded across the South East, establishing a division in Mount Gambier.

Throughout the 1970s, the Association introduced sport and social activities, the introduction of the Independent Living Program, two training houses, and the appointment of Liaison Support at the Hampstead Spinal Unit.

Near the end of the 1980s, the organisation introduced HomeCare+ to our range of services and established an outreach service. Through the following decade, HomeCare+ continued to develop with the changing needs in the disability sector and maintains a pivotal role in our service delivery.

In 2014, the Association rebranded and became known as PQSA.

On October 29, 2020, PQSA became a Company Limited by Guarantee, in recognition of over 50 years' growth and service development. We are the peak community body supporting people living with Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) and deliver quality services and relief to people with disability; with our regional expansion, PQSA is a truly South Australian community organisation.

Quality and Safeguarding

PQSA/HomeCare+ is committed to continuous improvement and client safeguarding.

We maintain a culture of business and service excellence that encourages innovation and works to achieve enhanced outcomes for clients, residents, employees and other stakeholders.

PQSA/HomeCare+ is a registered provider of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). As such, we are fully compliant with the NDIS Quality and Safeguarding Commission rules and standards.

Every Donation Counts

Since 1963, PQSA has been providing a suite of essential services to South Australians living with disability. This has only been possible due to the extraordinary support and generosity of the South Australian community.

Every dollar raised through fundraising activities, donations and bequests have contributed to the benevolent relief that PQSA provides.

We are committed to being transparent and open with respect to the use of the funds we raise. PQSA complies with relevant legislation and reporting as it pertains to the collection and use of charitable funds.

Feedback

We always welcome feedback or if you have a complaint, you can let us know via the form below.

Click here to get in touch.