National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026 Submission 1499
To the Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee,
My initials are . I am choosing to de-identify for this submission. I am a queer neurodivergent person living and working in Naarm/Melbourne, Victoria.
I am carer to a NDIS participant and have many friends and relatives who are also current NDIS participants.
I am also a registered Art Therapist, and work with clients in the community that are NDIS participants with a range of disabilities including Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Neurodevelopmental Disabilities such as Autism and ADHD, Cerebral Palsy, psychosocial disabilities such as Schizophrenia, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and complex PTSD.
I am writing to oppose proposed cuts in the NDIS Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026.
I am especially concerned about:
• The 50% cut to social, civic and community participation funding • The 10% cut to capacity building funding • Use of automated decision-making • Removal of references to the UN disability rights principles • New ministerial power to cut funding across entire categories without needing to pass legislation • Dangerously vague wording regarding an “impairment” only being considered permanent if further treatment is unlikely to “materially improve, reverse or alleviate the impact…”. Use of the word “alleviate” means any treatment that provides support for someone’s disability will then classify the disability as non-permanent.
The current NDIS supports that many of my friends, family and clients access include:
• Auslan interpreters (for Deaf and Hard of Hearing participants) • Assistive Technology (Hearing Aids, captioning devices, apps, AAC communication devices) • Speech Pathology • Support Coordination • Occupational Therapy • Art Therapy • Mental Health (Psychology) • Exercise Physiology
National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026 Submission 1499
• Administrative assistance (Plan Management) • Support Workers • Equipment (Video doorbells, wheelchairs, eye gaze technology devices)
These supports are not extras. They support access to basic human rights such as safe eating, toileting, bathing, dressing, going outside to access fresh air and connect with local community, communicate, have and maintain relationships, socially connect, both secure and sustain occupation e.g. school or work/employment, and live daily life with dignity.
These supports align with NDIS Act (2013) Chapter 3, Section 17A (3, c):
(c) support people with disability to participate in, and contribute to, social and economic life.
My Personal Experience
Some examples of this from my personal and work life.
I have an Uncle who is a NDIS participant. He has multiple physical disabilities that means he requires 24/7 care for everyday life such as eating, drinking, toileting, bathing, dressing, watching tv, communicating with family, going outside, moving around, accessing his local town in the country. He is a wheelchair user. Funding allowed him to get a new wheelchair, shower chair, modified cultery for safe eating, to adjust wheelchair neck holder so he can watch Trivia on the tv and the news, because he loves the news. Social and community participation funding allows his to access the local town in the country where he lives. It means a support worker with an accessible van can take him into town to get a drink, say hi to local guys at the pub, look at the shops, buy a birthday present for his nieces and nephews, be outside which means accessing sunlight, fresh air - to breath air outside. To look at nature, some trees that he likes. These things contribute to enjoyment of life, which is his human right to experience, and has a positive experience on his life, social connection to his local community and family. If social and community funding is cut, he may not be able to have a support worker take him outside. I am concerned he will become more socially isolated and that he will become isolated, and this have negative impacts on his mental health and physical health.
Many young clients on NDIS access Art Therapy because it is an accessible way for them to explore and express their feelings. Especially Autistic kids and teenagers. Art Therapy often allows them a space to communicate non-verbally through creative materials how they are feeling, what’s happening in their life, advocate for support etc. Many clients have difficulty going and staying in school. In Art Therapy we explore experiences of bullying, friendship troubles, practice ways of self-advocating in the classroom with teachers and peers using comic panels, storytelling/being characters,
National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026 Submission 1499
puppets, making fidgets and sensory items to take to school for self-soothing and stimming. I have seen some clients attendance rates increase with time through this support. This is a positive impact of the NDIS and means that these young people are engaging with education and schooling. This also means that the parents and guardians of these young people can continue to work and participate in their occupations. This is important because when young people miss school because of school can’t, bullying, agoraphobia, disability needs not being met, autistic burnout, illness – it means that parents and guardians need to take time off work to look after the young person. This places a lot of stress on families and can have flow on financial impacts/burdens for households. Therapeutic work that supports young people to participate in their world, their communities, however that looks for them, is vital and can also improve mental health and social connection.
Why these cuts will harm friends, family and clients in my life
Without these current supports, they will find it harder to:
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Communicate with doctors, teachers, employers, and services
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Find and keep a job, earn an income to pay rent for housing, to buy groceries
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Both stay in school and finish school
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Get to basic literacy skills and levels, e.g. learn how to read and write to a high school level
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Access services and complete administrative tasks
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Attend community events, classes, or social activities
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Be more independent and safe
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Stay connected with family and friends
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Build new relationships and maintain them without being burnt out (neighbours, medical professionals, fellow students)
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Manage mental health and wellbeing
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Eating, drink, toilet, bath, dress, go outside safely
Many people rely on NDIS funding not because they choose to, but because there is no other way.
Cutting community participation funding by 50% will push many Deaf and Disabled Australians further into isolation. Social isolation is directly linked to poor mental health outcomes, unemployment, and dependence on other government services. These costs will not disappear — they will simply move elsewhere in the budget.
National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026 Submission 1499
I am asking the Committee to:
Reject or significantly amend the proposed 50% cut to community participation funding
Provide adequate time and community consultation periods which are supported to be accessible for all disabled Australians before proposing new bills relating to the NDIS
Protect communication access supports including Auslan interpreters, Speech Pathology, and Assistive Technology
Protect therapeutic supports including Art Therapy and Psychosocial Supports
Consult meaningfully with the Deaf/Hard of Hearing and Disabled community before any further changes are made — in Auslan, plain language, use of AAC where appropriate and communication supports, not only written English
Thank you for reading my submission.
Yours sincerely,
28/05/2026