Submission to the Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee

Inquiry into the National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026

Submitted by: redacted, Occupational Therapist Practice: redacted, New South Wales Date: May 29th, 2026

About me

I am an Occupational Therapist working as a sole trader through redactedin redactedNew South Wales. My work is mainly with adults who have complex disabilities including Psychosocial disorders such as Autism Spectrum Disorder ASD), Cerebrovascular Accident Stroke), Muscular Dystrophyand Vision Impairment. My practice operates within regional communities where Allied Health services can be scarce. When funding decreasesor practices become unviable participants may find themselves without alternative providers; they might even face no one at all. The NDIS should remain sustainable while maintaining its promise of being individualised evidence-based grounded in real support needs and ensuring people’s safety participation ordinary life This bill does not achieve these goals As written it will make access navigation more difficult lose individuals most vulnerable fight back A lot this bill reads isolation from reality People do live laboratory conditions They reside homescommunities unstable housing limited transport exhausted carers financial stress long waitlists little ability change circumstances Pretending disability assessed separately those realities objective artificial The bill assumes level organisation self-advocacy literacy emotional regulation executive functioning many participants lack without assistance Many I serve struggle comply systems impairments qualified them for the NDIS first place Do believe provisions were drafted by regular home visits seeing how actual affects daily life 1 Functional capacity must assessreal The Bill proposes define functional capacity what person can accomplish independently assistive technology modifications excludes environmental personal factors cannot reconcile function works actually People shower cook communicate regulate behaviour manage medication or community abstract setting stripped supports environment fatigue risk routine assistive technology human help These are central to assessment

National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026

Submission 1565 - Supplementary Submission

I do not assess participants in a clinic due to its environment.

I go directly into people’s homes as it provides functional evidence of living situations such as stairs, moldy walls, missing food supplies, cluttering items like hoarding books, unwashed dishes, continence issues, burn marks from cooking accidents, unused equipment, routines followed by care workers during visits along with practical risks often unseen through conversation alone.

National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026

Submission 1565 - Supplementary Submission

Funding cuts and Ministerial powers remove individualised planning

Proposed section 34A gives the Minister power to reduce funding for groups of supports by legislative instrument. This can apply across broad categories of support without individual reassessment or a delegate reviewing the participant’s circumstances.The decision is also not merits reviewable The legislation further allows funding to fall below the full cost of supports that have otherwise been assessed as reasonable and necessary. The explanatory materials identify the proposed option of reducing Social Community and Civic Participation budgets by per cent Capacity Building Daily Activities budgets by with reductions phased in from October This is not minor administrative adjustment It is mechanism for reducing supports category rather than need For many my participants social community participation lifestyle extra how attend GP appointments collect prescriptions buy food maintain mental health stay connected safe people practise community access remain visible rather isolated Participants complex disability these supports form part integrated supervision safeguarding structure Reducing this does underlying need creates unsupported gaps where harm occur I am concerned language being used publicly around these supports Coffee haircuts shopping activities indulgences non disabled ordinary parts life Many disabled only possible with support message difficult ignore participation treated optional Same concern applies changes value money Cheaper same comparable lower-cost less safe effective durable person-centred unable achieve functional outcome not value economy Failed increases carer burden hospital presentations mental crises equipment abandonment behavioural escalation future costs Concerned peer-reviewed evidence hierarchy blunt Published research matters but should override specific clinical lived experience demonstrated outcomes People rare, complex fluctuating under-researched conditions already poorly served systems demand neat Occupational Therapy relies on assessment reasoning real-world observation forms must continue matter

Reassessment suspension and review changes create safeguarding risks The Bill treats reassessment scheme integrity problem In practice many requests happen because plans wrong start: underfunded based incomplete information able respond changing needs or aligned required keep the person safe Extending decision timeframes days to 90 day paperwork delay. Complex that can period housing breaks down workers leave care missed function deteriorates hospitalisation occurs informal reaches breaking point Narrowing who request adds another barrier participants cannot identify explain evidence lodge Change of Circumstances without support often directly related reason they Scheme

National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026

Submission 1565 - Supplementary Submission

Plan Suspension Provisions are Unsafe

Participants with Psychosocial Disability, Cognitive Disability, Intellectual Disability, Autism, communication barriers, homelessness, housing instability or family violence may miss, avoid, misunderstand or be unable to respond to Agency contact. Suspending a plan because an agency cannot contact someone does not serve as safeguarding; rather than preventing neglect, crisis, harm, it can lead some people into these situations due to lack of support mechanisms during such times.

National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026

Submission 1565 - Supplementary Submission

This is not theoretical. This is what happens when a person with substantial cognitive and physical disability is expected to navigate a system that does not communicate accessibly, does not notify the people supporting him, and does not respond appropriately to escalating clinical risk. The Bill strengthens many of the conditions that made this possible: longer timeframes, narrower reassessment pathways, reduced oversight, and greater administrative distance between decision-makers and the people affected by those decisions. If these changes pass in their current form, there will be more situations like Mick’s.

Regional Allied Health Access Will Be Destabilised The Bill also creates serious risks for regional service access. Pricing decisions that do not properly reflect regional delivery realities will make it harder for Allied Health clinicians to continue working with complex participants in thin markets.

The consequences are predictable. People go without assessment, Assistive Technology, home modifications, pressure care, falls prevention, functional support and capacity-building intervention until they deteriorate further and present later to hospitals, aged care, homelessness systems or crisis services.` Recommendations I urge the Committee to recommend the following amendments before this Bill proceeds:

• Amend section 9B so functional capacity is assessed in real-world conditions including environmental barriers assistive technology available supports fluctuating capacity multiple interacting impairments;

• Delay commencement of the section 9B functional capacity framework until the assessment process has been CO-designed publicly released properly consulted on piloted diverse cohorts independently evaluated;`

• Ensure social and community participation supports are not treated as discretionary where they are required for health access, supervision, communication, community access, prevention of isolation or maintenance of function;
• Retain the requirement that any lower-cost comparable support must still achieve the same functional outcome with equivalent safety and suitability;
• Amend the proposed evidence framework so participant-specific clinical evidence and demonstrated functional impact are not overridden solely by the absence of high-level published research;
• Retain meaningful reassessment pathways, restore the 21-day timeframe for unscheduled re-assessments, and create an efficient emergency reassessment pathway for urgent safety, housing or gsupport breakdown situations; - Require accessible communication attempts and safeguarding reviewbeforeanyplancanbe suspendedorrevokedbecausetheAgencycannotcontactaparticipant;- Prohibit plan reductions arising fromunscheduledNDIA contactunlesstheparticipanthasreceived proper notice,accessiblecommunication,theopportunityforsupport,andafullplanningprocess;-Retainsection31ofthenDISActsoparticipant-directedindividualised planningremainsacentral legislative protection;andanEnsure NDIS pricing is determined through a transparentindependent processthatproperly reflects regional service delivery realities. Closing TheN DIS was created because many peoplewithdisabilitywerebeingfailedbyfragmented systems thatexpectedthemandytheir families to somehow hold everything together on their own. I am concerned this Bill moves further in that direction rather than awayfromit.The participants most likelytostruggleunderthesechangesareoftenpeopleleastabletonavigate increasingly complexadministrativesystemswithout support.Manyaredallydealing withcognitive impairmentmental illnesscommunications barriersunstablehousinglimited supports trauma poverty oregionalisolation.Inpracticethesereformsmeanmorereassessments moreevidence gathering , morouncertaintyandmoropportunitiesforpeoplertoquietly disappearfrom thesystem before anyone notices how unsafe things have become . The NDIS does need reform.It needs stronger safeguards clearer processes genuine sustainability and better accountability.Butsustainability cannot come from makingthe system harder for disabled peo- ple toaaccess understandandsaferemainwithinThe peoples affected by these decisions are not line items or budget categories.They arypeopletryingtostay housed safes connected andaive withinsystems thatalreadydifficult tonavigate.I urgethecommittetorecommendsubstantial amendmentsbeforethisBillproceeds.Occupational Therapist,redacted: s24, New South Wales 29 May 2026