Submission to the Independent Assessment Joint Standing Committee

Dear Committee members

I am submitting this document for consideration into the inquiry into Independent Assessments for the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). I am a person living with disability for over 30 years and a self-managing participant in the NDIS.

I believe that instituting Independent Assessments for participants in the NDIS is wrong in oh so many ways;

• It is against the underlying principles of the Scheme, to support people with disability to achieve long-term improved outcomes through choice and control in their lives, by restricting or removing their ability to have input into designing the very plans through which they build their lives.

• It goes against a huge amount of disability sector advice and experience outlining why they should not be introduced.

• It goes against the experienced advice of prominent advocates of the Scheme, including inaugural chairman and advisor to the Productivity Commission Bruce Bonyhady.

• The data that was being promoted by the previous Minister Stuart Robert, on which reasons for introduction of these Assessments is based, is erroneous. Comparing people’s NDIS plan amounts by postcodes does not reveal their needs or why plan amounts differ. People with disability are individuals and have individualised needs, regardless of where they live, precisely why we cannot be assessed accurately through convenient standardised assessments and testing.

• Not listening to all of the voices of people with disability and advocates when continually raising their concerns with trialling the introduction of these Assessments is patronising and unethical. Not using all of the data and selectively picking feedback from the pilots of trials on Independent Assessments is dishonest and deceitful.

• Assessors will not be skilled and experienced in the disabilities and lives of the people they are assessing. This will lead to inaccurate and superficial plans that will not address people’s needs. This will cause long-term compounding negative impacts in people’s lives.

• It does not make long-term fiscal sense in that, if it is being introduced to reduce costs and spend on participant’s plans in the short-term, the introduction of Independent Assessments will cause more harm and long-term damage to people and subsequently higher costs to the health and welfare systems through the removal of supports in people’s lives. Not continuing to

• The damage that the stress and tension these Assessments will cause in people’s and family’s lives is incalculable, physically and mentally. It is already doing so. People with disability and their families are going to unnecessarily suffer further pain, humiliation and serious physical and mental health issues due to the introduction of these Assessments. This will have long-term ripple effects across society.

• Over 430,000 people access the NDIS, and they all have circles of formal and informal supports. This means the introduction of these Assessments will negatively affect MILLIONS of Australians mentally, physically and financially. To deliberately CHOOSE to do this through changing legislation and so take control over the fundamental basics in people’s lives is unethical, unjust and inhumane.

The untold damage that the introduction of Independent Assessments will cause to people’s support systems, lives and the economy is incredible; why choose to do this, against a huge groundswell of expert opinions, advice and information I simply do not understand.

Thank you for the opportunity to present this submission and I sincerely hope that consideration is given to the matters I have raised.

Kind regards