Submission regarding the National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the

NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026

I am writing as both a participant of the scheme, and as a support worker, working with other participants of the scheme. All of my clients will be substantially negatively affected if this Bill is passed, anndd thhe levels oof distress tthey hhave bbeen under,, ssince Mark Butler’s budgget speech annd media coverage since,,, haave skyrocketted nd three oo fmy cclients have beeenn admitted into iin-person care.. I am most compelled to write on behalf of mmy cllients ttwho alrready livving wwith ddaily suuffering due ttto aa lack off supporrttt,anddd II ammost conccernned abouut their already dificcult lives being made more difficulltbya further reduction fo supports that are already severely lacking nnand not meetingtheir daily caare neeeds.. II am also wrriting assaa particpant , who entereerdthe sccheme duur during at timeoif immense sufferiing ( rrelationship brreakdoown,njob loss,moving house,hospitalisedw ith organ failure,suffered injurythat limited by mobility,aautistic burnout))annd was substanstially helppedb ythte suppport Iwas able ta access. Having NDIS support has enabled me too recover from my autisticburn out and return tow ork (self-employed) aad be ablle toe contributetoo my communityaadssuppoort other disabled, auttsitic people. HavingN DISsupport builds my capacity so IAamabletosupport others annd use my lived experience tto suppporpt,,affirm nd mentor oother auuttisic peopple..I want otther disabbledpeopl e to have the same opportunities Ihave hadt oo receive suuppport,,,buuild capacitty andaabe ttobrreturnntot he communittyy.

I oppose this Bill because:

• It is cruela nnd inhumane
• This bill will cause unnecessary harm
• • I disagree with th assertion that teheNDIS iiss costing too muchoorthaat too many ddiscabledpeople haave accescess.. aA small percentage of ddisabled Australlians hhaavve acccesstothe sccheme.The ND ISS costting more over timee iss agood signgthat iti sbeing used byddisabled popleoott improve their liveses…Disbaeddedppllee wwanttttaccesss teh schemeecause there are not other services and supports available. Beingdisabledisis expensivvewiththtecostsof treatmmentandmedication, whenmany disabled peoplearenot abletoo work or they arre not abble toe access DSP ifthey havae a partner.

Thebill has been rushedaadtherehasbeeninsufficient consultationwith all sectorsof ttedisability community.

Therearereother ways thee government couldorganise the budgettthat do noresultin marginalised,, suffering disabbled peopple being abandoned annd left witth minimalorno support I donot supporrt aa governement that prioritises spending on defensea nd tax breaks forrtherewalthy oover theneds off marginaalizedpeopl e in our communittyyy.

• The useoff automation to make decisions about individual peopleslives anda needs is unethical.

National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment Bill 2026

Submission 1809

• The bill destroys the purpose of the NDIS and does not align with its mission or values. This bill is removing choice and control from disabled people, removing their autonomy and making clear that this government does not value the lives of disabled people.

Issues with the Bill:

• Schedule 1: o - Concerns about changes in reassessment process: poorly managed, inconsistent; cruel staff; NDIA’s expert evidence ignored; algorithms/automated processes will fail as irrelevant due to poor training/experience on disability needs. o A generic approach fails addressing diverse suffering challenges faced daily by disabled individuals, suitable only if based directly upon individual experience rather than algorithmic assessments. o Serious concerns regarding narrowing reasonable/necessary supports under NDIS: inconsistencies across all levels including website advice/information provided inconsistently between sources; improperly trained personnel make harmful decisions for participants’ support requirements without lived-experiential knowledge related specifically towards medical expertise. o Other services/foundational supports do exist but are lacking significantly throughout Australia especially smaller towns/rural areas where access remains limited.
• Schedule 2: o Registration requirement may impose unnecessary burdens onto sole traders/small independent providers who focus narrowly within niche communities delivering tailored care (disability-friendly/neurodiversity-affirming). larger service providers typically offer less trauma-informed/lived-experienced-led neuro-diverse queer-care which can be inappropriate or even detrimental depending participant-specific circumstances and financial capacity required for registration/auditing purposes.

National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment Bill 2026

Submission 1809

• Schedule 3:
  • A focus on price over quality is extremely unhelpful. People need funding that covers the whole cost of supports needed due to a gap already present between Medicare’s coverage limits and disabled people’s inability to pay regular care fees without falling below poverty levels or spending limited money elsewhere like medications and specialist appointments; thus many go untreated for necessary support needs as they cannot afford adequate care even before this issue arises; The use of automated decision-making raises significant concerns regarding how it affects daily lives of marginalized groups such as those affected from Robodebt suicides or severe mental health challenges resulting thereof, it being unreasonable relying solely upon these shortcuts when directly impacting individual well-being through haphazard algorithms making unjust decisions which can be dangerous & unethical leading to ineffective aged-care trials where underestimation occurs in assessing support requirements while removing clinical discretion thereby diminishing transparency ultimately causing older adults receiving less care negatively affecting their overall wellbeing, whereas disability support also evolves quickly requiring personalized attention rather than rigid automation systems unable accurately reflecting complexities within individuals’ experiences necessitating nuanced thoughtful approaches instead;

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

Submission 1809

ways you can save money on the NDIS without penalising individual disabled people who are suffering every day, suffering so much more than any politician could perhaps understand. The government messaging and media rhetoric around the cost of the NDIS has been incredibly triggering and harmful to disabled people and their allies. Disabled people already suffer every single day because of the ableist structures and systems that exist in the society and the ongoing weight of microaggressions that occur every single day. Australia already has a severe problem with ableism and discrimination towards disabled people.(https://humanrights.gov.au/about-us/media-centre/opinion-pieces/disability-rights/impairment-is-part-of-human-diversity.-society-response-to-that-is-what-disables-us). I am incredibly disappointed to live in a country with a government that would rather prioritise spending on defence and helping rich people get richer, whilst demonising disabled people, some of whom have had a brief moment of support for the first time in their lives, lives which are full of suffering and struggle and disadvantage every single day. This Bill is harmful and unethical and should not be passed by Parliament. I ask the committee what kind of Australia they want to live in - one that supports the vulnerable members of our society, or onethat is focused on economics over humanity and maintains an ableist, classist system that keeps marginalised people marginalised.I also ask the committee to consult with more disabled groups insociety, including their disabled Parliamentary colleagues.Jordon Steele-John is the politician whoshould be the most involved in this process-he has the lived experience and is engaged with thedisabled community.The Government needs to listen to himand his supporters,to seek advice fromthepeoplewhoarelivingthis realityJordonSteeleJohnshouldebeMinisterforDisabilitynotMarkButler.Weshouldnothaveanable-bodiedpersonrepresentingdisabledpeoplenowhentheyhaveclearlydemonstratedanoftensive lackofunderstandingoftherealityofof livingasadisabled person. Iaskthecommitteetoconsidermylivedexperienceasadisabledperson,andmymexperienceoff workingwithotherdisabledparticipantswhenreviewingtheBill.Nothingaboutuswithout us!