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

Submission 1911

To the Senate Committee,

I am writing as the parent of a young child who receives support through the NDIS.

The NDIS has played a significant role in our child’s development and has provided opportunities that would not otherwise have been available to our family. The therapies and supports funded through the NDIS have helped our child develop communication skills, improve emotional regulation and participate more meaningfully at home, school and in the community.

Like many parents of children with disability, our lives involve much more than the average family sees. Our child requires ongoing support with communication, transitions, emotional regulation and safety. Everyday activities that many families take for granted can require careful planning, supervision and support.

The progress our child has made has taken years of consistent therapy, intervention and family commitment. These gains have not happened simply because our child has grown older. They have been achieved through access to appropriate supports and the hard work of our child, therapists and family. Every new skill has made a meaningful difference to our child’s ability to participate in daily life.

This is why I am concerned about the proposed changes to the NDIS.

I am particularly concerned about any reduction in access to capacity-building supports such as therapies. These supports are not optional extras. They help children develop communication, social, behavioural and daily living skills that can improve independence and reduce future support needs. Removing or restricting these supports risks undoing years of progress and may ultimately increase the need for more intensive supports later in life.

I am also concerned about the proposed changes to how the NDIA assesses whether a disability is considered permanent.

Our child’s disability is lifelong. Therapy helps build skills, confidence and independence, but it does not remove the disability. Families should not be expected to continually prove that a lifelong condition is permanent, nor should they be required to pursue every possible treatment before being able to access support.

Many treatments are expensive, unavailable, inappropriate or have limited evidence of benefit. Families already spend countless hours attending appointments, implementing recommendations, advocating for their children and coordinating supports. Creating additional hurdles to access support will place further stress on families who are already doing everything they can to help their children succeed.

We are also caring for a newborn, which highlights just how important these supports are. The NDIS does not simply support our child. It helps our entire family function. It allows us to focus

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

Submission 1911

on helping our child build skills and participate in everyday life, rather than constantly fighting to access the support they need.

For our family, the NDIS is not about convenience. It is about giving our child the opportunity to communicate, learn, build relationships, participate in the community and reach their potential.

I ask the Committee to carefully consider the real-world impact these proposed changes could have on children with disability and their families. Behind every funding decision is a child, a family and a future. The supports provided through the NDIS have changed our child’s life for the better, and I hope future families will continue to have the same opportunity.

Thank you for considering my submission.