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

Submission: Submission 1578

Submission to the Senate Standing Committee on Community Affairs

National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026 I am making this submission as a person with disability, a carer, a husband, a father, and a grandfather.

I have lived experience with disability myself. My wife has disability; both of my sons care autistic—one significant intellectual—disability—and my granddaughter is on the NDIS due neurological condition epilepsy.My family spent years navigating disability support systems I deeply concerned about direction of this bill.

Ministers Making Decisions Without Parliament

I very concerned ministers being given power make major decisions about NDIs without proper parliamentary scrutiny.The people these decisions may never had lived disabled cared someone disabling or navigated system everyday.Governments serve community.Decision supports should be openly debated properly scrutinised because they affect real lives.What worries most changes could locked come.Society change needs change and disability support need change giving more powers reducing oversight feels wrong direction.

Cuts Supports Few Rights Challenge Decisions

My family would directly affected if supports reduced. Both Sons rely ON ndis those help them participate in community live independent life.My youngest son already experienced reductions helps mobility physical wellbeing know what it feels like when supports taken away.My granddaughters future still largely unknown.Her rare don’t yet know how much she will need older idea that future support could reduce while families fewer rights challenge decision frightening.If lose supports right question reviewed taking leaving feeling powerless.

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

Submission 1578

Existing Participants Should Be Protected

I do not believe existing participants should lose supports because the rules have changed. If someone has been assessed and found eligible, there should be strong protections in place before anything is reduced or removed. The government understands budget pressures but expects governments with disabilities shouldn’t carry fixing those problems on them alone.The NDIS was created to support people.It continues doing so now.

Exhausting Treatment Before Eligibility

The system already difficult enough.I am very concerned about requiring people exhaust treatment options access support.Peer often specialist reports assessments evidence apply.Those cost money are hard get.Most people can afford doctors specialists therapies.Add more hurdles stop seeking help.For intellectual disability communication barriers limited support networks could make almost impossible.To navigate complicated systems most need help least able.

Moving Away From Whole-of-Person Assessments

One of my biggest concerns move away from looking at whole person.People diagnosis many conditions affect each other.My own family example that.You cannot separate someone’s disability into neat little boxes expect understand their needs.A whole-person assessment makes sense looks how disability affects life overall.Worry single impairment approach will miss important information leave without genuine needed.

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

Submission 1578

Artificial Intelligence and Automated Decisions

I do not trust AI to make decisions about disability support. Computers can process information, but they cannot understand what it is like to live disability or care for someone with disability. They do not understand fear, stress, uncertainty or the reality of everyday life. AI is only as good as the information it is given. If information is missing, incomplete\nor wrong, the outcome will be wrong too. Human beings should be making decisions about human beings.

Community Participation and Capacity Building

The proposal to cut community participation and capacity-building supports worries me greatly. These supports help people connect with others, build skills, gain confidence and participate in their communities. Without them, people become isolated. Children miss opportunities to learn and develop. People in regional and rural communities become even more disconnected. The NDIS was supposed to help people be included in society, not push them further away from it.

Closing Comments

The NDIS is not perfect. No system is. But it has helped many people live better lives, including members of my own family.My message to Parliament is simple: be very careful.The decisions you make now will affect people for years to come.People with disability are not numbers on a spreadsheet.They are family members,negligible friends and citizens.We should be building a better system,not making it harder for people to get the support they need.Human beings should be helping human beings.That is what the NDIS was meant to be about,and that is what it should remain about.