National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026 Submission 1264
27/05/2026
RE: Opposition to Proposed NDIS Cuts
I am writing to strongly oppose the proposed cuts to the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).
Many Australians are being told these reforms are about “sustainability”, but disabled people, carers, families and professionals are seeing something very different.
We are seeing proposals that may:
• narrow disability recognition
• increase reassessment and evidentiary burdens
• reduce participant choice and control
• increase reliance on unpaid family labour
• make supports harder to access
• reduce access to trusted non-registered providers
• create more barriers to reviews and appeals
• increase discretionary power within the NDIA and Ministerial processes
The public conversation around the NDIS has become deeply concerning.
Disabled people are increasingly being portrayed as financial burdens rather than human beings entitled to support, inclusion and safety.
Families are being forced into impossible conversations about who is “disabled enough” to deserve support.
Meanwhile, the enormous invisible work carried by parents, carers and especially women continues to go unrecognized.
Many disabled people only appear to be “coping” because family members are sacrificing their own health, employment, finances and wellbeing behind closed doors to keep them safe and functioning.
Removing supports does not remove disability support needs.
It simply transfers the burden onto families, hospitals, schools, emergency systems, homelessness services and unpaid carers.
National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026 Submission 1264
One of the proposed cuts that I find particularly concerning is reductions to funding for community access support.
Community access is not a luxury. It is an essential support that allows people with disability to participate fully in society, maintain independence, improve mental health, and build meaningful relationships. Removing or reducing these supports would have devastating impacts on the wellbeing, inclusion, and quality of life of many Australians living with disability.
Accessing the community provides enormous benefits. It enables participants to develop social skills, build confidence, reduce isolation, and engage in activities that support physical and emotional wellbeing. Community participation also helps individuals gain life skills, pursue education and employment opportunities, and contribute positively to society.
For many people with disability, community access support is the only way they can safely and consistently participate in everyday activities such as attending appointments, joining social groups, exercising, volunteering, shopping, or simply spending time in public spaces. Without these supports, many participants risk becoming isolated in their homes, which can lead to worsening mental health, loneliness, anxiety, depression, and increased dependence on crisis services.
These cuts would not only affect individuals and families emotionally and socially but may also create greater long-term costs for the healthcare and support systems. Preventative and community-based support reduces the likelihood of hospitalisation, mental health crises, and breakdowns in informal care arrangements. Investing in community participation is both socially responsible and economically sensible.
The NDIS was created to support inclusion, dignity, and equal opportunity for people with disability. Reducing community access funding goes against the core principles of the scheme and risks undoing years of progress toward a more inclusive Australia.
I respectfully urge the government and decision-makers to reconsider any proposed cuts to community access support within the NDIS. People with disabilities deserve the opportunity to live connected, fulfilling, and independent lives within their communities.
Thank you for considering this submission.
Yours sincerely,