National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026 Submission 1117
Dear Committee Members,
I am an occupational therapist who works closely with allied health practices to help address critical workforce shortages in regional and remote Australia through the recruitment and support of internationally qualified occupational therapists.
I am deeply concerned about aspects of the National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026, particularly the proposed reductions to participant supports, the increased reliance on assessment tools and automated decision-making, and the broader powers to reduce funding across support categories.
Australia is already experiencing significant shortages across the occupational therapy workforce, particularly in regional and remote communities. Many allied health practices rely heavily on internationally qualified occupational therapists to address critical workforce gaps and ensure participants can access timely therapy services.
The proposed cuts to participant supports are extremely concerning because they will directly impact access to therapy services in regional and remote communities. Recruiting and supporting internationally qualified clinicians involves significant costs, including migration, sponsorship, onboarding, supervision, and relocation support.
Reduced participant budgets may limit the financial capacity of regional practices to invest in recruiting and retaining internationally qualified occupational therapists, despite the critical role they play in sustaining services across underserved areas. This risks further marginalising regional and remote participants, who already experience significant barriers in accessing timely occupational therapy and allied health supports.
I also have concerns about the proposed use of standardised assessment tools and increased automation within decision-making processes. Functional capacity and disability support needs cannot be accurately captured through a purely standardised or “tick-box†approach. Participants with complex, fluctuating, or less visible needs may be particularly disadvantaged if assessments rely too heavily on automated systems rather than professional clinical judgement and individualised understanding.
Professional judgement, clinical expertise, and human oversight must remain central to assessment and funding decisions. While the sustainability of the NDIS is important, reforms should not come at the expense of access, equity, quality, or participant outcomes.
I strongly urge the Committee to reject reforms that reduce participant access to essential capacity-building and community participation supports, particularly where these changes will disproportionately impact people living in regional and remote Australia.
The Committee must ensure that functional capacity assessments and funding decisions remain grounded in professional clinical judgement and are conducted by appropriately qualified allied health professionals, including occupational therapists. Disability support
National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026 Submission 1117
needs are complex and cannot be accurately assessed through standardised or automated processes alone.
I also urge the Committee to place clear limits on the use of automated decision-making and assessment tools within the NDIS. Participants should not be subjected to “tick- box†systems that risk overlooking individual circumstances, fluctuating needs, and real-world functional impacts.
In addition, the Committee must recognise the existing occupational therapy workforce crisis across regional and remote Australia. Any reductions to participant supports will have downstream consequences for the sustainability of allied health services, particularly for practices already struggling to recruit and retain clinicians.
Internationally qualified occupational therapists play a critical role in maintaining access to therapy services across underserved communities. Reforms that reduce the financial viability of regional practices risk further worsening workforce shortages and limiting participant access to essential supports.
I urge Parliament to ensure that NDIS reforms strengthen — rather than weaken — equitable access to high-quality, clinically informed therapy services for participants across Australia.
Thank you for considering this submission and the potential impact these reforms may have on participants, families, providers, and regional communities.
Kind regards,
No OT, No NDIS
National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026 Submission 1117