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

Submission 2061

Submission to the Senate Inquiry

NDIS Amendment Bill – Securing the NDIS for Future Generations

to the Committee,

My name is and I am the mother of a young man with Down syndrome who turns 21 this year.

I am writing to express my deep concern regarding proposed changes to the NDIS, particularly around community access funding, changes to what is considered “reasonable and necessary,” and reduced rights to review decisions.

For families like ours, the NDIS is not about extras or luxuries. It is about safety, dignity, inclusion, wellbeing, and the ability for people with disability to participate meaningfully in everyday Australian life.

My son relies on support workers and structured supports to safely access the community, attend programs, travel to work, build independence, and continue learning important life skills. These supports are essential to his physical safety, emotional wellbeing, and overall quality of life.

The NDIS has helped our family access the additional support needs to participate in the world around him. It has enabled him to travel safely to programs, work part-time jobs, engage socially, and develop skills that support greater independence and confidence as he moves into adulthood.

Like all parents, I want my son to have purpose, connection, opportunity, and dignity in his life. Community access supports are what make this possible.

I am extremely concerned that proposed cuts and changes to community access funding will have devastating consequences not only for , but for many families like ours across Australia.

Without appropriate supports:

• ’s safety while accessing the community would be compromised,

• his mental health and social connection would suffer,

• his opportunities for employment and education would reduce,

• and his independence and dignity would be significantly impacted.

I am also deeply concerned about the impact this would have on ’s physical health. Community access is not simply social support — it keeps him active, engaged, mobile, and participating in everyday life. Without these opportunities, I fear his physical health would decline due to increased isolation, reduced activity, and loss of routine and purpose. For people with Down syndrome and intellectual disabilities, maintaining physical activity, structure, and community participation is incredibly important for long-term health and wellbeing.

Isolation is a very real risk for people with intellectual disabilities when support is removed. Community participation is not optional for mental health and wellbeing — it is fundamental.

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

Submission 2061

These changes would also profoundly affect our family life. The only reason I have been able to return to part-time work and contribute to the Australian workforce is because the NDIS provides support that keeps safe and engaged in the community.

If those supports are reduced, the burden inevitably falls back onto families and unpaid carers. Parents, many of whom are ageing themselves, will once again be expected to fill impossible gaps in care, supervision, transport, and daily support.

I am also deeply worried about changes that reduce transparency and limit the ability for participants and families to seek fair reviews of decisions. Families already navigate a system that is complex, stressful, and emotionally exhausting. Removing safeguards and review rights creates fear and uncertainty for vulnerable people whose futures depend on these decisions.

I understand the importance of ensuring the NDIS is sustainable for future generations. However, sustainability should never come at the cost of basic human dignity, inclusion, safety, and participation in society.

People with intellectual disabilities deserve the opportunity to work, learn, contribute, build relationships, and live fulfilling lives within their communities. The NDIS has made this possible for . I fear these proposed changes risk taking that future away.

I respectfully ask the Committee to:

• protect community access and participation funding,
• maintain fair and individualised interpretations of “reasonable and necessary” supports,
• preserve participant rights to transparent reviews and appeals,
• recognise the enormous contribution of unpaid carers and families,
• ensure that reforms do not unintentionally isolate people with disability from education, employment, community life, and opportunities for independence.

Behind every funding package is a real person, a family, and a future.

I ask that the voices of families and people living with disability every day are genuinely heard before decisions are made that may permanently affect their wellbeing and quality of life.

Thank you for considering my submission.

Yours sincerely,