Submission 1493

27 May 2026

To whom it may concern,

Submission to the Inquiry into the Administration of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS)

I am writing as the parent of a six-year-old daughter with Down syndrome to provide feedback regarding the administration of the NDIS and concerns regarding proposed legislative changes.

Our Experience of the NDIS

The NDIS has been an incredibly valuable and positive support for our daughter and our family. Through the scheme, she has been able to access physiotherapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy from an early age. These supports have enabled her to make significant developmental progress across communication, physical development, independence, and participation in everyday life.

Importantly, these supports have helped make it possible for our daughter to attend a mainstream school and participate meaningfully alongside her peers. The therapies funded through the NDIS are not “extras” — they are essential supports that allow her to learn, communicate, build relationships, and engage in the community.

The NDIS has not only benefited our daughter directly but has also strengthened our family’s capacity to support her and maintain our wellbeing. The scheme has demonstrated how early intervention and appropriate disability supports can create long-term positive outcomes for children with disabilities and reduce future demand on more intensive services.

Concerns Regarding the Bill

I am deeply concerned about the proposed changes to the NDIS legislation.

Firstly, the bill appears to have been developed without adequate consultation with people with disabilities, families, carers, and the broader disability community. Decisions that will have such profound impacts on disabled Australians should not occur without meaningful engagement with those directly affected.

Secondly, I am concerned that the bill provides government with excessive power and discretion to arbitrarily reduce or remove supports from participant plans. The proposed framework appears to lack sufficient safeguards, transparency, and accountability. This creates significant uncertainty and fear for families who rely on the NDIS to support basic functioning, participation, and quality of life.

The legislation also appears to leave the door open for future governments to further reduce supports and shift increasing financial burden onto families. Families caring for people with disabilities already face substantial emotional, physical, and financial pressures. Weakening protections within the legislation risks undermining the long-term stability and integrity of the scheme.

Submission 1493

I am also concerned that the bill fails to adequately protect the rights, dignity, and autonomy of people with disabilities. The NDIS was founded on principles of inclusion, choice, control, and human rights. Any reforms must strengthen — not weaken — those principles.

Additionally, the focus of reforms appears misplaced. Rather than targeting the organisations and providers who are exploiting or “skimming” money from the scheme, there is a risk that genuine participants and families will instead bear the consequences through funding cuts and reduced supports.

I am particularly concerned about potential reductions to funding for social and community participation supports. These supports are vital in enabling people with disabilities to work, socialise, build independence, and participate in community life. Reducing these supports risks increasing isolation, worsening mental health and wellbeing, and ultimately creating greater demand on acute health, mental health, and crisis services in the future.

What Should Change

The government must undertake genuine and meaningful consultation with the disability community before implementing significant reforms to the NDIS.

People with disabilities, families, carers, therapists, advocates, and service providers all possess critical lived experience and insight into how these changes will affect daily life and long-term outcomes.

The legislation should also include stronger protections and safeguards to ensure future governments cannot further dismantle the scheme or erode participant supports without proper oversight and accountability.

Any reform process should prioritise:

• protecting the rights and dignity of people with disabilities;
• ensuring transparency and fairness in decision-making;
• targeting fraud and unethical provider practices rather than reducing participant supports; and
• recognising the long-term social and economic value of early intervention and community participation supports.

Impact on Our Family

Any reduction in supports would have significant consequences for our family.

Without adequate supports, we face increased risk of carer burnout, financial strain, stress, and poor mental health. Families cannot simply absorb the loss of essential disability supports without serious impacts on family functioning and wellbeing.

The reality is that when families are unsupported, both carers and people with disabilities suffer. This ultimately places greater pressure on health systems, education systems, and crisis services.

What the Committee Should Know

Submission 1493

The NDIS has been an amazing support for our daughter and our family. It has helped our child thrive, participate in mainstream education, and develop skills that will support her throughout life.

The scheme is worth protecting.

Most importantly, people with disabilities must be protected. Reforms to the NDIS should strengthen inclusion, dignity, participation, and support — not create fear, uncertainty, and additional hardship for vulnerable Australians.

Thank you for considering this submission.

Yours sincerely,