National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026 Submission 1179
Submission to Senate Committee
Submission to the Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee
Re: National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026
I am making this submission on behalf of J , who I have been the legal guardian of since 17 June 2014.
I acknowledge the importance of ensuring the NDIS remains sustainable and available for future generations. However, I ask the Committee to carefully consider the impact that any reforms may have on young people currently using support to build independence and prepare for adult life.
J is approaching adulthood. He is not seeking lifelong dependence on support. Like many families, our goal has always been to use support carefully and only where it is genuinely needed to help him develop skills and opportunities for the future.
J loves school and values learning. Education gives him structure, confidence and purpose. He has aspirations to continue learning after school through TAFE. His interests include animal care and animation, and he hopes to develop practical skills that may support future education, participation and employment.
J also works with a personal trainer because group environments make him anxious. This arrangement allows him to stay active and maintain healthy habits in a way that is achievable for him. Support has not removed challenge from his life — it has allowed him to engage with life.
Before supports were available, much of my time was spent searching for services, advocating and navigating systems to find appropriate help. This process was difficult, inconsistent and exhausting.
I am now in my 60s and continue to care not only for J but also for two younger children. Looking to the future, my concern is not simply funding — it is capacity. If support becomes unavailable or significantly harder to access, the burden returns to families to independently coordinate services while continuing everyday care responsibilities.
For J , support during this transition to adulthood is especially important. It is helping him move toward greater independence, further education and a healthier future.
National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026 Submission 1179
I respectfully ask the Committee to consider: • protecting continuity of support for participants transitioning into adulthood; • recognising that some supports reduce future dependency rather than create it; • ensuring reforms do not unintentionally disadvantage participants with aspirations for education and employment; and • recognising the role families and guardians already play in coordinating care and support.
Please consider that participants are individuals with goals, strengths and futures. J is not asking for less responsibility — he is asking for the opportunity to continue building the skills needed to take more responsibility for his own life.
Thank you for considering this submission.
Submitted by:
Legal Guardian of J