National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026
Submission 1831
Good afternoon,
I am writing this email as a resident and business owner in the federal Adelaide electorate and Enfield state electorate. I work as an Occupational Therapist, across multiple sectors, including disability, aged care and rehab/return to work.
Firstly, I would like to say thank you for the hard work that went in to saving Bedford Industries. I have many clients that I work with who have spent decades of their life working at Bedford Industries and it really is the centre of their entire world for multiple reasons, such as economic participation, friendships, a sense of belonging, and the satisfaction that can come from productivity and routine.
I have grave concerns that the significant proposed cuts to NDIS social and community budgets will have devastating consequences on supported employment and potentially risk the very existence of Bedford Industries once again. A lot of people I have spoken to have incorrectly assumed that this support comes from the “Finding and Keeping a Job” section of a participant’s budget, but this is not the case. As per the NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Pricing Limits 2025-26, page 82, in reference to Support On the Job, “These items are available as an interim measure until a new plan is developed to include the necessary ongoing core supports.” Ongoing support in employment, such as the support provided by Bedford Industries, is provided under the core social and community budget, page 67 - the section of participants’ budgets that will be cut under the current proposal.
I also have many clients who work in the open labour market, but with some support for parts of their role that they have trouble managing, due to either difficulties with executive functioning or mobility. They are very concerned that the proposed cuts to the core social and community budget will impact on their employability.
The optics that this core budget is typically used for 1:1 trips to the beach, movies, theme parks etc is not fair on many participants who require 1:1 funding to undertake community participation tasks with a level of privacy and dignity that we would all expect for ourselves. The proposed new “Inclusive Communities Fund” totally misses the mark, in this respect. Group supports are obviously smart from an economic stand point, however are, in many cases, not appropriate - not due to the functional capacity of the participant, but due to the nature of the activity itself. If you or I were to sustain a significant permanent disability in the near future, I am sure we would like to continue to be able to go to the doctor, see therapists, go underwear shopping, attend the dentist, attend our place of worship, attend parent teacher interviews, attend our kids’ activities and many other community activities that are not appropriate for group support.
In considering a fair approach to cutting the core social and community participation budgets, if such an approach even exists, I implore you to consider how: a) “Support in Employment” can be quarantined out of the proposed cuts, and b) All participants who require support for community and social participation, are continued to be provided with an allocation of 1:1 funding that respects their privacy and dignity.
National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026
Submission 1831
I understand that this is a federal issue, and many of you that I have included in this email are state members, however, the impact on our state, particularly with respect to both Bedford Industries and the Foundational Supports that will eventually be rolled out, needs to be holistically considered by all levels of government.
Kind regards,
Lisa Natale Occupational Therapist ActivOT Clearview NDIS Registered Provider Monday-Thurday, 9am-4pm and Friday, 9am-12pm
Phone: Fax: Email: Website: www.activot.com.au Address: PO Box 1107, Clearview, SA, 5085
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With respect in our hearts, ActivOT acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country and their connections to land, sea and community. We honour Elders past and present and future and extend that to all First Nations peoples today. We stand with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in recognition of their culture, achievements, fighting spirit and their proud history. We aspire to be allies when providing occupational therapy services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, seek to learn from and respect their voices, putting their needs, culture, spirit, kinship and sovereignty at the centre of their treatment.
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