NDIA Accountability Project

Concerns regarding NDIS legislative changes and impact on people with disabilities

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National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Getting the NDIS Back on Track No. 1) Bill 2024

Submission 95

SUBMISSION TO THE SENATE COMMUNITY AFFAIRS COMMITTEE

JULY 12, 2024

Sue Robertson

Dear Senate Community Affairs Committee,

Thank-you for the opportunity to pass further comments on the NDIS Bill and its amendments.

Based on assessment of the new legalisation and amendments, contained in the Bill (Getting the NDIS Back on Track Bill 2024) -this Bill is very flawed, and harmful to people with disability. The Bill should not be passed.

CHANGES IN THE BILL THAT UNDERMINE THE CORE PRINCIPLES OF THE NDIS

      1.    The Bill dismantles the social model of disability, and it enables discrimination and breaches of our human rights. The social model of disability is highly valuable for people with disability and for the wider Australian community. The social model of disability is fundamental for a sustainable and ethical NDIS, and to our rights as Australian citizens.
      
      2.    The Bill breaches our human rights. The Australian government should not lose sight that the NDIS is underpinned by the UNCPRD. All Australians should have their human rights protected.
             
              3. Choice and control.
               
       3.    Reasonable and necessary supports.
        
     4.    Our right to an ordinary life. We are Australian citizens!
    
   5.    Co-design. The government promised co-design for every stage of the reforms to the disability community. This promise has been completely broken by the government. Please write co- design into the legislation to ensure this happens.

KEY CONCERNS

1.We do not agree with the reliance on delegated legislation (Rules and Determinations) which will have the power to determine fundamental things in the NDIS and impact the lives of people with disabilities.

National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Getting the NDIS Back on Track No. 1) Bill 2024

Submission 95

Assessments and eligibility criteria.

Assessment tools. who are the assessors. assessors training and education

We want good assessments that include the complexity of individuals needs and lives.

  1. The reduction of NDIS supports. NDIS supports are fundamental to good workings of the NDIS

4 The process and method by which plans are calculated and funded is changed for the worse!

  1. The introduction of ‘Classes of participants’ is discriminatory, dehumanising and breaches our human rights.

  2. Policy segregation of people with psychosocial disability - early intervention- is discriminatory and harmful.

  3. Stop the enablement of ‘Robo-debt’ style debt collection. This is unjust and attacks people with disability.

  4. Reducing Choice and control breaches our human rights

9.Stop the new Information-gathering powers.

We agree that the NDIS needs reform. However, the focus needs to be on the whole of the NDIS -not just on people with disability and reducing our supports and funding. We want the NDIS to become sustainable and accessible and equitable to all people with disability. We want the NDIS to work well. This is about Our lives Our choices Our futures.

We request that this harmful Bill be withdrawn. And we request that any new legislation be developed and written in co-design with a broad range of people with disability. Please listen to Our voices -the people with disabilities.

Sincerely, Sue Robertson