NDIA Accountability Project

Consultation: Deafblind Community WA & NDIA Recommendations

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Consultation: Deafblind Community WA & NDIA

Recommendations

  1. Deafblindness to be recognised by NDIA as a unique and distinct disability type which is identified in the NDIA business system. Projected plan build for a person with deafblindness will be based on draft funding appropriate to deafblind disability and will vary based of the severity of the functional impact of the impairment/s. a. Deafblind West Australia report that currently NDIS plans rarely align to functional need. Deafblindness needs to recognised as a distinct disability which can then be properly aligned to NDIS supports. The impact of deafblindness is totally different from experiencing deafness or blindness and can result in extreme isolation without appropriate support to mitigate the impacts of impairment/s. b. Deafblindness being recognised as a distinct disability will enable meaningful adoption of an insurance based approach towards deafblind disability which can be informed by actuarial analysis resulting in the provision of appropriate funding for supports for people who experience deafblindness.

  2. NDIA will provide (for planning appointments) participants who experience deafblindness with a qualified interpreter experienced in deafblind communication methods. a. NDIA staff, having received the training described in recommendation 3 will have an understanding of the differing communication needs of people who experience deafblindness (for some sign language, some tactile language or a mix of both). b. The voice of the NDIS participant can only be heard if they are supported to communicate in a language apporiate given the functional impact of their impairment. c. NDIA will continue to improve accessibility of online resources/portal to support deafblind communications.

  3. All NDIA staff and partners who work with specilaists and members of the deafblind community to have access to deafblind specific planning practice guidance and be trained in deafblind awareness to have an understanding of the impacts and support needs of those who experience deafblindness. a. NDIA to develop practice guidance and a compulsory online training module for all staff and partners working with deafblind participants (including plan builders, plan delegates, and administrative staff booking planning appointments). b. A deafblind consultant (allied health professional or teacher who has additional specialist skills and broad knowledge of deafblind disability) to be contracted to work with NDIA to contribute to the production of the required internal practice guidance and online training module.

  4. The needs of the deafblind community are fully considered as part of the consultation and later implementation stages of the Independent Assessments reform. Findings from the pilot and submissions on the reform papers to be separetly considered and acknowldeged (direct to Deafblind West Australia) by the relevant policy and research areas within NDIA. a. Up to five (not less than one) participants who experience deafblind disability are to be included in the 2nd Independent Assessments Pilot occurring from from October 2020 to mid- 2021. b. Two private consultative sessions on the recently published reform papers to be held in Perth. NDIA to provide support for community members to provide submissions on the papers (submissions close 23 February 2021).

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Deafblind Consultation v2 12.01.2021

Background Information

The purpose of this consultation is to identify key recommendations that can be operationalised by the NDIA to overcome mounting concerns about the participant experience and the quality of plans for deafblind participants.

This colloaborative work between Deafblind West Australians and NDIA commenced following complaints to NDIA about the participant experience including a complaint to the Australian Human Rights and Equal Opportunities Commission (AHREOC) which was settled by agreement.

The terms of the mentioned AHREOC agreement included a clause that NDIA would undertake consultation with the deafblind community in WA to collaboratively identify changes that can be implemented by NDIA to address the concerns raised.

During the consultative process information was provided to NDIA of a possible further class action to AHREOC on behalf of up to ten NDIS participants who consider their human rights have been been violated by the NDIA during the NDIS planning process.

NDIA and the Deafblind community in WA are commited to finding solutions:

  • All parties aknowledge that the Deafblind community and NDIA need to work together to get the participant experience right at all touchpoints along the NDIS pathway, for people who experience deafblindness.
  • All parties acknowledge the commitment and positivity of all members of the working group to find ways to move forward together in a positive way.
  • Broadly community inclusion objectives have been funded through Information, Linkages and
  • Capacity Building (ILC) to support DeafBlind individuals (grant to DeafBlind Australia). This consultiative work is focused on NDIS and the participant experience for deafblind people.

Process

The agreed consultative workshops were unable to proceed as planned because of the COVID situation (COVID has resulted in significant delays to the progress of this work). The amended format of this consultation is as described below:

  • Three meetings between the project group members (NDIA, lawyer from Midlas and deafblind consultants from Senses Australia) to workshop through large volumes of existing materials and recommendations and find real solutions that can be implemented by NDIA (resulting in the four recommendations provided at the beginning of this document).
  • The four recommendations to be presented by the working group to the Deafblind Board of WA at an extraordinary meeting in January 2021.
  • The Deafblind Board of WA to accept these recommendations (with amendments if required) when satisfied that they have the approval of the broader lived experience group (small individualised consultation to occur).
  • The Deafblind Board of WA request that these four recommendations be accepted and implemented by the NDIA to improve the participant experience and the quality of NDIS plans for members of the deafblind community.

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