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

Submission 1934

I am writing to outline my concerns about the impending changes to the NDIS and the implementation of Thriving Kids. I am a paediatric occupational therapist who has been practicing for 42 years. For the last 21 years, I have owned and worked in a private practice in the Hawkesbury area of Sydney. I have remained a registered provider for the NDIS since its inception, despite the significant cost to me as a small business owner. The changes that have been proposed to the NDIS and the advent of Thriving Kids potentiate serious consequences for me as a provider, as well as for the families my business serves. These policy changes impact not only providers but also parents, grandparents, extended families, educators, schools, local communities, employers, and the broader public who witness children and families losing access to support. There will likely be significant public, community, and political backlash if experienced private providers are excluded from the broader service ecosystem.

For families:

• Many families will lose access to trusted therapists and long-standing therapeutic relationships
• Waitlists and service shortages will worsen significantly
• Children will miss early intervention opportunities during critical developmental windows
• Regional and underserved communities will be disproportionately impacted
• Many children over 9 years of age will also lose access to supports if services become financially unviable
• Reduced access to early and ongoing support will negatively impact long-term outcomes including education participation, school engagement, independence, mental health, community participation, and future workforce participation
• Voting families, business owners, clinicians, and communities will directly experience the impacts of these decisions. These same stakeholders had no say in the upcoming changes.

For small businesses:

• Many private paediatric allied health practices will become financially unsustainable and may have to close
• Many clinicians and support staff will lose jobs, which in turn will impact the economy at large

I am asking you to:

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

Submission 1934

stop cuts to supports

guarantee private practitioners’ inclusion in Thriving Kids initiative

ensure no person’s removal from NDIS without suitable alternatives available

protect participation and inclusion support measures

safeguard participants’ right to choose service providers freely

maintain fair, accessible, effective review rights process

implement genuine co-design with people living with disability

be transparent; demonstrate legislation content to our disability community and stakeholders prior to parliamentary consideration fix systemic issues so they function effectively.

People with disabilities face reductions impacting essential life-supporting services necessary for leading ordinary lives within communities where full integration occurs alongside meaningful autonomy over personal care arrangements.

Systemic weakening negatively impacts individuals experiencing disability challenges along with their families as well as broader societal structures.

Please heed voices directly affected by these changes - those who live with physical/mental health conditions requiring assistance daily - take action against proposed budgetary constraints threatening existing programs.

Note: My office operates Monday through Thursday between eight o’clock morning until five o’clock evening.

Kind Regards,

acknowledges Traditional Custodianship of lands inhabited by Dharug Nation. Appreciation extended towards Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander peoples past/present/future generations including Elders across all cultural groups whose stewardship enables educational opportunities here today.

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