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

Submission 178

Submission on the NDIS Amendment Bill

Name: redacted I am a:

• Disabled person
• Clinician / researcher (Occupational Therapist)
• Advocate

Introduction/my connection to this issue

As an autistic individual with chronic illness requiring wheelchair use due to disability, specializing in occupational therapy among marginalized populations including those experiencing housing instability or complex psychosocial/physical disabilities. The NDIS is crucial; it enables safe living conditions within communities where health management can be effectively managed; as both participant and clinician supporting individuals struggling daily under current system constraints. This submission reflects lived experience alongside professional expertise regarding proposed amendments that would exacerbate harms experienced previously.

My overall position on this Bill

• Support It
• [] Do Not Support It
• Have Serious Concerns Why: The bill increases administrative burden, reduces flexibility, expands punitive “not contactable” rules while strengthening control over supports at systemic levels—disproportionately harming people facing complex disabilities, crisis situations without stable support networks. Personal experiences highlight how easily systems disregard context trauma & barriers related specifically towards disabled persons. These changes will make matters worse for already vulnerable groups.

Key concerns

Communication access

The increased expectations of participants responding quickly and consistently are unrealistic given many disabled folks struggle because executive dysfunction, hospitalization, burnout, communication challenges exist alongwith lack thereof adequate support structures. Punishing non-contactability as discriminatory practice poses significant dangers.

Administrative Burden

During homelessness recovery from domestic violence amidst full-time unpaid placement whilst writing a thesis, suffered catastrophic cuts due to inability meeting demands placed upon me administratively which were beyond my capacity physically resulting in severe repercussions; increasing such requirements further could severely harm those like myself who have been stretched past their limits by existing circumstances;

Loss Of Supports

My previous support work (transport), physiotherapy services, exercise physiology all removed leaving only one hour OT per month provided. Such drastic reductions made without considering individual needs or impact on quality life significantly compromised overall well-being.

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

Submission 178 disability needs or my circumstances. The Bill’s provisions allowing system-level adjustments to support categories will make these kinds of cuts more common and harder to challenge.

Crisis / “not contactable” rules

People in crisis: hospitalised, homless,fleeing violence ,or experiencing mental health collapse arethe most likelyto miss calls ordeadlines.TheBill risks pausing oremovingsupports atthexact moment theyaremost needed.As a clinician,I seethis constantly amongmy unhoused clients with psychosocialdisabilit y .

Automateddecision-making

Th eB ill increases reliance on administrativeand automated systems.My own plan reviewalreadyfeltautomated inflexible.There was no meaningful human considerationofmysituation.Increasing automationwill worsen this.

Funding/ministerial powers

Allowing broadadjustmentsto categorysofsupportsrisksentire groups o f participantslosingessential services.This undermines individualised funding,which is supposedtobe thefoundationo nNDIS. 4.Mylived/professional experience

Asa participant

As aparticipant,mymyexperiencewiththenD IS over thenpast year has beendestabilising,trau matic,and directly harmfultoyhealthandsafety.Thewaymoplanwas handled alreadyreflectstherigid,punitive,inflexiblesystemthat the Billseeks t forma liseexpand.\In December 2015 myplanwassforcibly revieweddespitethene DIA being aware of mycircumstances.At thatime Ihadjustescapeddomesticviolence,becamehomeless and wastrying torebuild mylife.I waseompletingafull-time unpaidplacement required for mydegree while simultaneously writing a thesis.Im hadnocapacitypractically,cogn itivelyoremot ionally,togatherreports ,attend assessments or meetadministrativedemands.None oft his wa sconsidered.The forced reviewThe reviewwa si nitiatedwithoutregardformysafetymytrauma historyor mydisability-related barriers .Irepeatedlyexplainedth at Icouldnotobtainupdated reports due to homelessness,lackof stabilityandthe demands o f my placement.These explanations were ignored The process felt predetermined as thoughthedecisionhadalreadybeen made before i evenparticipated.

Th ecuts tom ysupports

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

Submission 178

The outcome was devastating. My supports were slashed in ways that directly undermined my ability to function, stay safe, and manage my health:

• Support work cut removing the assistance I rely on for daily living, executive functioning, and community access.
• Transport cut despite being a wheelchair user and unable to safely use public transport or drive.
• Physiotherapy cut essential for managing chronic illness and mobility.
• Exercise physiology cut despite clear evidence of its necessity for my condition.
• Only one hour OT per month an amount so low it is functionally meaningless someone with complex needs. Their cuts not based need; they administrative convenience context.

Forced plan management

I also forced into plan against explicit wishes no justification provided This removed autonomy restricted choice providers created additional barrier accessing support unilateral decision made without consultation transparent respect participant’s rights as partipant.

The internal review

After months waiting our internal dismissed Decision did address harm caused procedural issues asked simply reverted previous plan gather information pursue change circumstances refused. The message: system designed understand accommodate real life trauma disability crisis enforced compliance. Why this matters bill My experience outlier preview what will look like if this passes Amendments would increase demands reduce flexibility expand punitive “not contactable” rules strengthen control over supports reliance automated standardised decisions harder challenge harmful decisions Everything happened me force review disregard crisis cuts lack transparency refusal consider disability-related barriers become more entrenched Conclusion

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

Submission 178

The NDIS has failed me due to my homelessness, trauma, disabilities, professional obligations; it punished me during crises but now proposes making these norms. This rigid system would be expanded as per your bill proposal, as described below:

As An Occupational Therapist

As occupational therapists working with unhoused individuals facing significant psychosocial challenges like complex traumas & chronic health conditions—often navigating extreme obstacles such as unstable housing—their support from programs like yours can mean life-or-death survival chances yet remain most vulnerable under increased administrative demands & ‘non-contact’ rules. The same patterns recur in daily practice: many have lost phones frequently or cannot reliably receive calls/texts/emails/letters from NDIA due theft/violence/unstable living conditions which is interpreted as non-engagement instead of expected consequence of being homeless; others cycle between hospitalizations involuntarily due mental illness/infections/injuries/non-managed illnesses where they are unable respond to contact attempts and thus penalized unfairly; some experience severe executive dysfunction/cognitive overload/trauam-related avoidance—all disability barriers not considered compliance issues by proposed legislation. Most struggle meeting admin requirements even currently without stable housing/support coordination/safe environment; many lack family advocates consistent workers for managing communication falling through cracks widened further by the new rule; even when aware of circumstances people lose supports because missed phone call while hospitalized, letter sent at old address etc., due these provisions formalizing expanding mechanisms already failing them assuming choice behind communication barrier rather than predictable outcome of disabilities trauma homelessness.

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

Submission 178

From a clinical perspective, removing or pausing supports for this population has immediate and severe consequences:

• Increased hospital admissions
• Worsening mental health
• Higher risk of self-harm or suicide
• Loss of housing opportunities
• Increased exposure to violence
• Reduced ability to engage with treatment
• Greater long-term cost to the health and justice systems The NDIS is often the stabilising factor that allows someone to begin recovery. When supports are removed due to administrative rules, the person’s entire life can unravel within days.

Why the Bill makes this worse The Bill increases administrative expectations and reduces flexibility. It gives the NDIA more power to pause or alter supports when a participant cannot be contacted, even when the reason is directly related to their disability or circumstances.For the people I work with, this is not a hypothetical risk. It is a guarantee.

Professional conclusion From a clinical, ethical, and human rights perspective, the “not contactable” provisions are incompatible with the realities of homelessness, psychosocial disability, and trauma. They will push people further into crisis, homelessness, and hospitalisation, the exact opposite of what the NDIS is meant to achieve.

5. What I believe this Bill gets wrong -It assumes participants can meet administrative demands, when many cannot.-It treats non-responsiveness as non-compliance rather than a disability-related barrier.-It prioritises system efficiency over human rights and safety.-It expands powers to reduce supports at a system level, undermining individualised funding.-It increases automation when what participants need is human understanding andflexibility.-It fails to protect people in crisis, people without stable housing, and people withcommunication disabilities.
6. What needs to change or be protected-Strong protections for people who are

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

Submission 178

• Limits on automated decision-making and mandatory human review for any decision that reduces supports.
• Preservation of individualized funding rather than broad category-level adjustments.
• A trauma-informed, disability-informed approach to reassessments and reviews.
• Clear rights for participants to choose their plan management type.
• Flexibility during periods of homelessness, hospitalization, domestic violence, ormajor lifedisruption. ##FinalstatementTheNDISismeanttosupportdisabledpeople,notpunishusforbeing disabled.Myownexperience showshoweasilythesystemcanharmpeoplenowhenitprioriti sesadministrationoverhumanity.Theproposedamendmentswouldmaketheseharmsmorefrequent,moresever,andhardertochallenge.IaskthecommitteetoconsidermylivedexperiencewhenreviewingthisBill.