National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Getting the NDI Back on Track No. 1) Bill 2024 [Provisions]

Submission 120

To whom may listen to me,

My life since Quadriplegia, 23 years ago, was Agency ‘controlled’. I was humiliated daily by staff, that the Agency was ‘hiring’. I was not listened to, respected, I was abused, burnt, or pushed out of my bed. Life was out of my control. I cannot recover from those 10 years.

I had no vision of a settled, well managed, budgeted life. Agencies made mistakes with my funding package, I had no idea about costs, wages and consumables and training etc.

Agencies ‘stole’ funding, disrespected my life’s choices. It was traumatic.

This was with an ISP, State Government Plan.

Then I found myself with no choice but to manage my everyday life, learning budgets, how to Self- Manage was amazing, I felt mature, I had control, finally. Anxiety, tension, gone.

I love being the employer of my own staff. I realized staff could be wonderful with my needs.

I felt smart being an accountant, book keeper, interviewer, rostering of staff shifts, amending shifts to suit my everyday needs, (not third party), training staff, having staff respect me with more respect as they know I’m the ‘manager’, the staff talk to me, not behind my back.

Please understand I have control of my budget, my life, my needs, I feel as if I don’t have this terrible disability.

There are so many ‘types’ of disabilities. Someone with a broken arm is different than someone without arms. A quadriplegic is different than a house of Autistic spectrum kids or adults.

I know I am honest, I need AM shift, get out of bed, lunch shift and PM shift, back to bed, this is daily. I DO NOT want or need holidays, boats, just my basic life to stay as is.

I have finely found myself adequately funded to live the same peaceful life. This is what was allocated to me. It took years of fighting for.

I beg to not change my current lifestyle choice and control, please.

We are so lucky to live in Australia. It’s the best country on earth.

Please find the NDIS abusers, punish them, not us. The ones who have suffered, near died, cried, worried, had families in nervous wrecks,

I am so thankful to my Ministers and Members of Parliament for, hopefully, listening to me.

Take care,

Amanda Rudd