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

Submission: Submission No. Date: May 29th, I welcome the opportunity provided regarding submission about the National Disability Insuranc

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

Submission 1982

text technical language and the uncertainty it creates makes it difficult fully understand proposed will mean practice. In our household life organised around appointments therapy sessions personal care advocacy responsibilities constant management unpredictable needs sitting down analyse complex legislative change something can done easily or support Because this still decisions made lives process accessible most affected At same time significant concerns remain transparency parliamentary scrutiny Key parts framework eligibility thresholds assessment processes funding reductions categories released full This means families like ours asked respond without seeing complete system ultimately determine supports allocated removed Creates deep sense uncertainly particularly broad ministerial powers contained bill raises concern major affecting eligibility funding later implemented through instruments rather than debate For families rely on daily survival not procedural issue directly affects whether plan maintain stability tomorrow In own experience even relatively small changes funding hours immediate cascading consequences delaying cancelling therapy reducing community participation placing additional pressure already exhausted informal arrangements The alone ongoing stress because forces families prepare loss knowing replace It also very real fear existing participants may lose supports while having fewer practical avenues challenge those decisions When reduced impact does within shift onto families carers often results in workforce financial strain increasing levels physical emotional exhaustion We experienced firsthand how quickly disrupted when slightly What appears administrative adjustment translate into significant functioning wellbeing safety is to overstate destabilising feels know larger structural being considered clear guarantees protection relying System I am deeply concerned move standardised functional capacity assessments including use tools such as the I-CAN Disability static fluctuates presents differently different environments it masked short formal settings From my perspective a carer see difference someone present briefly an assessment reality takes them function before during after that moment Many people expend enormous energy simply appear okay

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

Submission 1982

structured environments, only to experience significant exhaustion or functional decline afterwards. There is a real risk that this complexity will not be fully captured, resulting in people being assessed as needing less support than they actually require. Any assessment system must therefore only be introduced if it is independently validated for fluctuating and complex disabilities and developed in genuine partnership with people with disability and those who support them. The proposed reductions to community participation and capacity-building supports are also deeply concerning. These supports are often what enable people to remain connected to\nt heir communities, maintain mental wellbeing,,and develop independence.. Without them,. isolation increases quickly and the burden on families grows significantly.. In our own case,,,supports are not optional -theyarewhat mak edaily life sustainable.,Withoutthem,theentirestructureofcare shifts back onto family memberswho are already stretched beyondcapacity. it ist difficultto see howreductionsin these areas canbe considered safeor sustain able before alternative systems suchas Foundational Supports ar efully operational andre proven t o meetreal-world needs.Withoutthat safety net,familiesar eleft carrying risks th at shouldnot b ep lacedonth em. Ultimately ,the NDIS has madea profound differencet ou r lives anda manyf amilies like ours.It enabled my daughter toc omplete high schoolwiththesuppor of psychological services that were essentialtos her learning a ndwellbeing.W ithouts that sup port,her education pathway would likely nothave been possible.Y et evenwit htha tsucc ess,t he lack o fbroader supp orts su ch asasaupp ort workermeanttheresponsibilityona ntfamily remained overwhelmingands ustainable . as she transitions into adulthood,w ear enow facing thenext stage of uncertainty-seeking supports to helph er build capacitytot obtain employment so sh ec an live independently. This isno ta bout lowering expectations; itis about ensuringsh ea s ha genuine opportunitytop articipate in society and support herself with dignity. This Bill,,astand,s risks shifting thesystem away from tha purposeandreplacingit wit hn certainty,,, fear,and instabilityfor familieswho are alreadycarrying significant responsibility.I urge the Committeeto ensure thats reforms proceed only w i th full transparency,p roper scrutiny,a ndgenuine inclusionof peoplew ith disabilityan dtheir carers-b ecause t he consequences o ft getting this wrongare not abstract.They ar elived every day ,anda nth ey shapeentire futures. th ank you for consideringmy submission.