Hear Well - Live Well celebrates International Day of People with Disability (IDPwD) as the South Coast's only independent, locally owned audiology practice.

Director and senior audiologist Annemarie Narraway said the practice was the fruition of many dreams.

"I've always strived to do things with flair and wanted to be able to contribute more to the hearing loss community," Ms Narraway said.

Part of her passion stems from her own experience having lost all hearing in her right ear at age six, and relying on hearing aids for the past ten years.

Ms Narraway enjoys finding solutions for tricky problems and, with a degree in Communication Pathology, an intensive speech therapy and audiology course from the University of Pretoria, under her belt, she opened her own practice in Narooma to do exactly that.

She applies her specialised skills to deliver the care she believes people deserve, enabling people on the South Coast to access independent services such as cochlear implants, tinnitus care, and wax suction removal.

"Audiology has arguably one of the best track records with making a big difference in people's lives in a very short space of time," Ms Narraway said.

"Wearing hearing aids if you have hearing loss is very good for you. It has been proven to keep your brain working better for longer."

With 28 years in the industry, Ms Narraway has attended numerous training events, invested in state-of-the-art equipment, and has brought the audiology component of cochlear implantation to the Eurobodalla, a move that saves clients ten trips up the Clyde River in just the first year of treatment.

She can treat workers' compensation and industrial deafness cases and works closely with other companies, including home care package providers, and supplies assistive listening devices for people according to their needs.

Ms Narraway works with patients of any age, and provides all pensioner services. She can care for all major hearing aid brands, including Starkey, Beltone, Resound, Unitron, Phonak, Oticon, Signia, and Widex.

"If loss of clarity of speech is causing frustration to you or any of the people you know, please let me see if I can help them," Ms Narraway said. "Even if they already have hearing aids, there is a good chance that I can find ways to make things better if that is what they want."

Ms Narraway is also active in business and community groups that bring enjoyment and vitality to peoples lives, and works alongside her assistant, Sophia Moody, who runs a swim school for babies and children.

Together, at Hear Well - Live Well, they work to improve the lives of patients living on the South Coast.

Confidence, new friends, and fun - involvement in sports can open a world of enjoyment and new possibilities.

Not only does it benefit our physical health, it boosts our wellbeing and helps enhance a positive sense of self.

It's no wonder, then, that 75 per cent of Australians with disability want to take part in more sports or active recreation.

Through Disability Sports Australia's national Abilities Unleashed program, children as young as five and adults above 18 have the opportunity to get active in their local communities.

"We had 70 events scheduled across the country, and we've already had over 5000 participants come through the program this year," Abilities Unleashed national program manager Kristy Rohrer said.

In partnership with local councils and the State Sporting Organisation, Abilities Unleashed events allow people living with disability to try new sports.

"We have a heavy focus on ensuring that the sports delivered are by local providers, so we're creating a pathway from the day into community sport for our participants," Ms Rohrer said.

Sports include anything from AFL and NRL to netball, tennis, baseball, cricket, badminton, golf, basketball, bowls, and beyond.

"If a community doesn't have a club that feels like it can be inclusive, the State Sporting Organisation can attend with them and up-skill them so that they can be more confident in terms of delivering inclusive programs at their own clubs," Ms Rohrer said.

Ms Rohrer said the program provides a space for people who don't always get the opportunity to participate in sports and recreation activities.

"One of the main barriers to people with disability participating in sport is actually their own confidence levels," she said.

"Creating an environment where people come along, try different sports, and feel safe and connected with the other participants is really important. It's a huge benefit for them going forward."

Socially, participants create friendships and greater connections within their own community that extend well beyond their involvement on the day.

"Not only with their peers who are there participating with them but also with sports providers and local NDIS organisations," Ms Rohrer said.

Where and when an Abilities Unleashed event occurs is dependent on council and community engagement. If you're keen to participate, visit sports.org.au to register your interest or suggest that Abilities Unleashed come to your region. Programs run across all Australian states and territories.

By harnessing recent advancements in technology, science and engineering, X-Tremity Prosthetics and Orthotics works to create smarter, better mobility aids for people with disability.

From joint braces and orthotic devices, to full upper and lower-limb prosthetics, bionic hands, knees and more, X-Tremity has been changing the game since Director Jens Baufeldt founded the company in 2017.

Andy Sands, chief operating officer, said they are inspired by the philosophy that the limitation of a limb's function should not result in the loss of one's passions, hobbies, and independence.

"When we create our devices, each of these personal characteristics are considered so that our products go with the wearer throughout life's journey, instead of limiting where their life's journey goes," Mr Sands said.

"In our modern age, with the incredible advancement of medical knowledge, technologies and manufacturing methods and materials, we've achieved some astounding results for our clients."

X-Tremity's methods are guided by Mr Baufeldt's innovative spirit and desire for excellence, traits which Mr Sands says make him widely respected in the industry.

"He cares for his clients like no other and his commitment to doing the job right has gained him a great deal of trust in his circles and allowed the company to grow significantly.

"Our focus has been, and will always be, our customers. When we're entrusted to give them the gift of mobility and independence, we do so with great honour," Mr Sands said.

This International People with Disability Day, X-Tremity celebrates the achievements, contributions, and resilience of each individual with disability, as opposed to focusing on what they are physically capable of.

"We strongly believe that a person's level of ability has absolutely no relevance to their value, what they have to give, and how they can influence those around them. This day is important to everyone as it highlights the fact that those living with a disability should be celebrated just as much as those around them without disability," Mr Sands said.

X-Tremity is NDIS, DVA and EnableNSW registered and has supported hundreds of people across Queensland, NSW, ACT and Victoria.

"Many clients are surprised to discover how easy and affordable it is to have their orthotic or prosthetic needs reassessed, and an updated device created to suit their current needs," Mr Sands said.

"We get so much joy from the stories of our clients. To hear about the hurdles they've overcome, the goals they've reached, and the way they simply refuse to give up, inspires us every day."