National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026 Submission 1341
My name is . I am both an NDIS participant and a social worker with over 20 years of experience supporting disabled people across homelessness, mental health and community sectors. I became an NDIS participant in October 2025 after experiencing significant functional decline associated with lifelong disability. I care deeply about the future of the NDIS both personally and professionally, because I have seen firsthand the difference appropriate disability support can make to people’s capacity to survive, participate and contribute.
While I have a number of concerns regarding this Bill, I am particularly concerned about:
the proposed “all appropriate treatments†test for permanence and scheme eligibility; and the tougher reassessment processes and reduced review rights.
The “all appropriate treatments†test is deeply concerning to me both as a disabled person and as someone who has worked in human services for decades. Disabilities are not static, simple or universally treatable. The idea that people should be required to exhaust “all appropriate treatments†before being considered permanently disabled creates enormous uncertainty and distress. It also assumes that governments and assessors can accurately determine what constitutes “appropriate treatment†across a constantly evolving medical and therapeutic landscape.
I am a 43-year-old woman with developmental disability who would likely fall into the category sometimes publicly described as “mild to moderate†. I grew up in a family with enough privilege to access extensive intervention and treatment throughout my life. I received assessments and supports as a child, psychiatric treatment as a teenager, and regular therapeutic intervention throughout adulthood — often weekly for long periods of time. Despite this, my functional capacity has gradually declined over time rather than improved.
My employment history reflects this decline. Across my entire life, I have only managed three years of full-time work. Over time I reduced from full-time, to four days, to three days, and eventually became unable to work at all in 2024 despite ongoing self-funded intervention and support. The NDIS has now enabled me to begin rebuilding some sustainable participation through supports that assist with household tasks, decision- making, organisation and business setup. I currently run a very small disability-informed social work business and earn a modest income, but without support this would not be possible.
I think there is a dangerous myth underlying some public conversations about disability support — the idea that early intervention or treatment “fixes†disability. In reality, many disabled people require lifelong support simply to maintain functioning, and some experience significant functional decline over time, especially after years of masking, unsupported participation and chronic stress.
The proposed “all appropriate treatments†requirement does not reflect the lived reality of disability. Treatments themselves can also carry significant physical,
National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026 Submission 1341
National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026 Submission 1341