Walk On
Spinal Cord Injuries Australia (SCIA) offers an individually designed intensive exercise program, called Walk On, to assist a person with a spinal cord injury to maximise their functional recovery. The program has been operating in Australia since early 2008 and now has centres in Brisbane, Sydney, Perth and Melbourne. Click here to find out the locations of the Walk On Centres.
Walk On Melbourne now open
The highly acclaimed Walk On program opened its doors in Melbourne on 10 January 2012 – and welcomed clients who have been anxiously awaiting the program being offered there.
The program is being delivered under a collaborative partnership arrangement between Spinal Cord Injuries Australia (SCIA) and Victoria University’s School of Sport and Exercise Science and is now operating from the University campus situated at Whitten Oval, West Footscray – also the training base and administrative headquarters of the Western Bulldogs AFL team.
The three new Walk On staff welcomed their first clients and look forward to working with all those who have accepted a place in the program to date. “Places have filled quickly and we expect many more enquiries as the word spreads” commented Kierre Williams, National Operations Co-ordinator for Walk On. “Some of those starting have already travelled interstate to Sydney or Brisbane for the program and it is great that they can now access it in Melbourne – we look forward to growing the program and offering it to as many people as we can” she added.
For further details about Walk On Melbourne please phone 1800 819 775 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
News.... Walk On Perth
Spinal Cord Injuries Australia, in partnership with Edith Cowan University (ECU), opened the highly regarded Walk On spinal cord intensive exercise rehabilitation program on 31 October 2011. Located at ECU’s Health and Wellness Institute at the University’s Joondalup campus, the program is already having a significant impact upon the lives of those who are participating. Made possible by the partnership with ECU, and a substantial grant from Lotterywest, people in WA now have access to the program which has been successfully operating in Brisbane for 3 ½ years and Sydney since April 2010. The Lotterywest grant provided the necessary specialised equipment and the training and development of three staff members recruited to deliver the program. For more details about this grant please see the media statement from the WA Minister for Disability Services.
Associate Professor Tony Blazevich, Director David Prast, Walk On Parent Elizabeth Boutet, Walk On Therapist Kierre Ireland and CEO Peter Perry at the new facility.
“The word has spread quickly and we already have strong client bookings for the program” commented Peter Murray, National Manager for Walk On. “The 3 accredited exercise physiologists who make up the Walk On team in Perth all undertook an extensive training program at Project Walk in the USA and at the Sydney Walk On facility prior to commencing operations and we look forward to the further development of the program in Perth” he added.
If you would like to apply for Walk On Perth click here to download an application form.
NEWS.... at Walk On Sydney
Walk On Sydney now has a short waiting list for new clients. Prospective clients are encouraged to submit their application pack as soon as possible to secure a place on this list. If you would like to attend, or know someone that would benefit from this program, please contact us immediately on 02 9661 8855 or 1800 819 775 to discuss how to apply. Click here to download an application pack.
News.... Walk On Brisbane
There is still a short waiting list for our Brisbane facility. Prospective clients are encouraged to submit their application pack as soon as possible to secure a place on this list. If you would like to attend, or know someone that would benefit from this program, please contact us immediately on 02 9661 8855 or 1800 819 775 to discuss how to apply. Click here to download an application pack.
Key information about Walk On
CLICK HERE to download a fact sheet about Walk On.
CLICK HERE to download a brochure with one client’s story and which answers questions such as - your options for a long or short term program, when you can start Walk On and whether the program can help people a number of years post injury.
SCIA and Walk On
Spinal Cord Injuries Australia (SCIA) has been providing services to people with paraplegia and quadriplegia since 1967. SCIA’s mission is to create independence and unlimited opportunity for people living with a spinal cord injury.
Walk On is a private rehabilitation program run by SCIA and is based on the Project Walk® program and methodology which has been operating in the USA since 1999. Identifying the need for an intensive exercise rehabilitation program following acute hospital stay, SCIA opened its first Walk On facility in Brisbane in 2008 in partnership with the Sporting Wheelies and Disabled Association of Qld.
The second Walk On facility was established 2010 in partnership with The University of Sydney and operates from the Clinical Exercise and Rehabilitation Unit at the University’s Faculty of Health Sciences campus at Lidcombe. SCIA conducts Walk On as the only certified provider of the Project Walk® program and methodology in Australia.
What is Walk On?
Walk On is an individually designed intensive exercise program designed to assist a person with a spinal cord injury to maximise their functional recovery. The program is delivered by specially trained Walk On therapists who work, at a minimum, one on one with a client. Often a client receives additional support during a session from a second Walk On Therapist and/or University students trained and supervised to be part of the program. Walk On is based on the Dardzinski Method™ developed and operating at Project Walk® in the USA. Since its commencement in Australia, many Walk On clients have experienced significant practical and functional improvements which have had a major impact upon their quality of life.
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