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Guide — Assisting communication
This article provides guidance for a planner delegate, participant support officer, early childhood partner or local area coordinator to understand:
e preferred method of communication
e considerations when a participant chooses an alternate preferred method of communication
e my NDIS portal electronic format
e privacy obligations.
Recent updates September 2023
This guidance comes from the Practice Guide — Assisting communication. We’ve made minor updates to change any NDIS Business System language to PACE language. We’ll make improvements to this guidance in the future.
Before you start
You have read and understood:
e article Check a participant’s preferred contact method.
Preferred method of communication
Support the participant to communicate in their preferred method of communication whenever they interact with the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA).
A preferred method of communication may be verbal, written or using another supporting medium. It may be needed due to:
e hearing loss e vision loss
e speech impairment
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other related communication impairments, such as Apraxia and Dyspraxia of speech other neurological conditions language other than English.
The participant needs to notify the NDIA that they would like to change their preferred method of communication. This is called an alternate preferred method of communication.
For more information on how to check and update a participant’s preferred method of communication, go to article Check a participant’s preferred contact method.
Considerations when a participant chooses an alternate preferred method of communication
When the participant has requested an alternate preferred method of communication, you
need to: allow enough time for the participant to engage confidently in conversations. For
example, make sure any communication technologies are easily integrated into the
conversation direct your questions to the participant and include them in all discussions using eye
contact be respectful of any cultural and linguistic circumstances and be sensitive to their
individual communication needs check if the participant needs help to fill in forms. For example, if they need support
from informal supports do not assume a person who needs support to communicate cannot understand
you.
My NDIS portal electronic format
Talk with the participant about accessing electronic versions of their documents on the my
NDIS portal. If they use assistive technology, for example screen readers, electronic format
may be their preferred choice. To learn more, go to article my NDIS portal – Access the my
NDIS portal through a myGov account.
Privacy obligations
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In accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the NDIS Act, any emails sent from the
NDIA containing sensitive and personal information must be classified as ‘Sensitive-Personal’.
Where the NDIA uses an external provider to convert communications into alternate formats,
the external provider is bound by the same privacy rules as the NDIA. There are confidentiality
provisions to ensure participant information is always handled confidentially.
Next steps
For further guidance:
on disability-related interpreting and translation supports, go to article Guide –
Assisting communication – Disability-related interpreting and translation
supports on non-disability related interpreting and translation supports, go to article Guide –
Assisting communication – Non-disability related interpreting and translation
supports on what to consider when arranging interpreting services, go to article Guide –
Assisting communication – Considerations when arranging interpreting
services on accessible formats, go to article Guide – Assisting communication –
Accessible formats.
Article topics and case names – internal use only
Topics
This article relates to the following topics:
Communication Implementation
Case names
You can use this guidance for the:
Plan Approval
NDIS Plan
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Version control
Version Amended Brief Description of Change
by
1.0 CS0074 |Class 1 approval APPROVED | 2022-12-12
1.1 JLL673 |Continuous improvement update — DRAFT 2023-06-23transferred to new template and begun SGP consistency check.
12 MSM312 |Peer review DRAFT 2023-06-271.3 JLL673 {Action peer review DRAFT 2023-06-27
1.4 KLQ732 |Continuous improvement update — DRAFT 2023-08-08complete SGP consistency check
1:5 POM825 |Peer review DRAFT 2023-08-09
1.6 KLQ732 |Actioning peer review feedback DRAFT 2023-08-10
1.7 KLQ732 |Actioning VT feedback DRAFT 2023-08-11
1.8 AJG505 |AD Review DRAFT 2023-08-14
1.9 JJP375 |Actioned AD feedback DRAFT 2023-08-15
2.0 EDO0024 |Class 1 approval APPROVED | 2023-08-17V2.0 2023-08-17 WP02-53 - Guide — Assisting communication Page 4 of 4 This document is uncontrolled when printed
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