NDIA Accountability Project

Protecting choice and control for people with disability

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Submission 1748

Easy Read submission template

About the new NDIS Bill

To Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee From Rainbow Rights and Advocacy Date 22nd May 2026 Contact

        Project worker
      Peer worker

Important message This submission talks about concerns about the Bill. It does not say we agree with the Bill.

Why we wrote this in Easy English: These submissions are written in Easy English because they are for self advocates and people with disability.Many people find government information hard to read. Some people need short sentences, clear words and simple layouts to understand what changes may mean for them.Easy English helps more people take part, have their say and speak up about the NDIS Bill.The NDIS is about our lives, our rights and our support.

Submission 1748

We should be able to understand the information and be part of decisions that

affect us.

Submission 1748

About us

We are Rainbow Rights and Advocacy. We are a self advocacy group. We support people in the LGBTQIA+ people with intellectual disability speak up about issues that are important to them, and learn about their rights. Many of our members use the NDS. We know what good support looks like. We know what happens when support is not there.

Our main message

We are worried the changes the government wants to make to NDIS laws will:

  • Put people with disability in danger

  • Hurt people’s physical health and mental health

  • Put people’s safety and human rights at risk

  • Stop people getting what they need to live their lives

We are worried the new Bill will mean people:

  • lose support they need
  • get less support to go out in the community
  • have less choice and control
  • are not listened to in assessments
  • cannot get help when their life changes

People with disability must be part of all decisions about the NDIS.

Nothing about us without us.

Submission 1748

Key facts about the Bill

  • The Bill was introduced to Parliament in May 2026.
  • The Senate Committee is looking at the Bill now.
  • Submissions close on 29 May 2026.

This bill is rushed:

  • This bill is rushed and we do not have time to properly understand how this will affect us and to speak up about this

  • Self-advocates NEED accessible information, like things in easy read and time to think and say how these changes will affect us.

  • Because this bill is rushed, SARU helped us write lots of this submission.

      But self-advocates should be given time and
   support to lead this work instead.

Social and Community support must not be cut Social and Community support is very important. It helps people:

  • do things outside of the home they need to do to
  • make and see friends
  • go to appointments and go shopping
  • go to self-advocacy groups
  • learn skills
  • use transport
  • join the community

Submission 1748

  • speak up

This support is not extra. It helps people have a real life.

Without it, people may be stuck at home. They may become lonely or unsafe.

We ask: Do not cut community support for everyone. Look at what each person needs.

If there are people who are not eligible for the NDIS and are scamming the system, there are different ways to solve that problem.

The money shouldn’t be taken away from everyone.

Submission 1748

Assessments must be fair

The Bill talks about new assessments.

Assessments must understand real life.

Some people:

  • need help to explain their needs
  • have good days and bad days
  • use different ways to communicate
  • feel scared in meetings
  • say they are okay when they are not okay
  • need someone they trust with them

Assessments must listen to the person.

Assessments must also listen to people the person trusts.

We ask: No one should lose NDIS support because of an unfair assessment.

Choice and control must stay

The NDIS should let people choose.

People should be able to choose:

  • their workers
  • their providers
  • their support coordinator
  • their plan manager
  • how they use their support Trust is very important.

Some people have worked hard to find workers they trust.

New rules must not take this away.

Submission 1748

         We ask: Keep real choice and control in the NDIS.

Submission 1748

People need help when life changes Life can change quickly.

A person may need more support if:

  • their carer gets sick
  • they leave hospital
  • they move house
  • they are unsafe at home
  • their mental health gets worse
  • their provider stops helping them

People should not have to wait too long for help.

We ask: Make sure people can get urgent plan changes when they need them.

Advocacy must be funded Many people need support to speak up.

Self advocacy groups help people:

  • understand changes
  • know their rights
  • speak up at meetings
  • make complaints
  • ask for reviews
  • stay connected to other people

If the NDIS changes, people will need more advocacy support, not less.

Submission 1748

We ask: Fund independent advocacy and self advocacy groups properly.

What we want the Senate Committee to do We ask the Senate Committee to make sure the Bill:

  • protects choice and control
  • protects social and community support
  • makes assessments fair
  • lets people get plan changes when life changes
  • funds advocacy and self advocacy
  • lists to people with disability before changes happen

Final message The NDIS helps people with disability live our lives.

It helps us be part of the community.

It helps us speak up.

It helps us be safe.

Do not change the NDIS without us.

Listen to self advocates.

Protect our rights.

Signed: The members of Rainbow Rights and Advocacy