Fifteen years ago, the Aboriginal man was a promising rugby league player and star of the local club, Wilcannia Boomerangs.

He trained as a carpenter and was starting to earn good money.

But a motorbike crash left him with swelling on the brain and led to a stroke, leaving half of his body paralysed.

Menindee’s official population is 1,000, but it is likely that half that number actually live in the town.

Support services for Mr Newman are limited, but the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) has the potential to change that.

Source: abc.net.au