The story of Bindi’s conception is one of pioneering and determination, community and care. At the time of its establishment in 1978 it was still common practice for people living with disability to spend their lives in institutions.

Twelve years earlier Telka Williams had founded The Sunny Centre, Alice Springs’ first school catering specifically for young people with disability. Motivated by the need to provide education and community access to her daughter and other young people living with disability in Alice Springs, Telka saw the first generation of graduates were emerging with no real employment options available to them. Bindi was founded by Telka with the invaluable help of some volunteers and community goodwill on the principle that people living with a disability should have the right to access meaningful employment.

Since 1978 Bindi has been operating as an employment, training and skills development provider  and is the only enterprise of its type in central Australia. Today, Bindi continues to offer community engagement opportunities for those marginalised by mainstream workforces across four enterprise departments: The Contracts Department, the Bindi Workshop, the Bindi Digital Art Program and the Bindi Mwerre Anthurre Artists.

Bindi also provides community participation options for individuals to develop skills in a range of art and craft, workplace practices, commercial industries and independent living skills.