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

Submission 216 Committee Secretary, Community Affairs Legislation Committee, Parliament House, Canberra ACT 2600. Dear Committee Secretary, Re: National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future generations) Bill 2026 inquiry

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

Submission 216

Instead, they risk shifting costs and responsibility onto already stretched families and mainsteam systems, including education and health services, or, more concerningly, leaving people with disability without the essential supports required to build capacity and lead ordinary lives.

We are asking Government to:

• Protect access to reasonable and necessary supports under the amended framework.
• Rule out reductions in eligibility through the proposed functiona!l capacity-based !access model|that would exclude people with genuine disabilitv-relatcd support needs.|Ensure no participant is transitioned off the NDIS until fully funded and operational alternative supporls are available.|Provide clear communication and transition pathways to reduce distress and uncertainty for participants.

Full Details

Our lived experience: We are deeply grateful for the NDIS supports our daughter has received over the past five years These suports have been transformative Through intensive early intervention and ongoing support she has progressed from a toddler wit substantial delays i language gross motor skills daily living skils and social interaction an severe difficulty regulating emotions t o child who has transtiond f rom a specialist Autistic school into supportive mainstream primary scbool environment She now enjoys quality friendships participates activities such as gymnastics dancing swimming and steadily building independence.

We therefore have direct lived experience of critical importance sustained accees tailored ndis-funded supports We ar e deepy concerned at prospect ou daugher’s supports being reduced or denied given cle impact this woul have slowing her development limiting progress toward independencc.

Key Concerns:

1.Riskofreducedaccessthroughtightenedeligibilityand revised definition of |supports| The proosed reforms introduce shift more tightly-defined eligibility based on functional capacity thresholds alongside narrower interpretation reasonable necessary supports There real risk that will reduc access people continue significant funcional impairment disability-related need.

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

Submission 216

If eligibility is narrowed or supports are reclassified,

people with disability may lose access to essential supports required for safe participation in daily life. This will not reduce need; it will shift costs and responsibility to familiesand mainstream systems* that are already under strain.*

Functional capacity assessments and the I CAN tool

The move toward standardised functional capacity assessment tools,* including The proposed I CAN framework, raises serious concerns regarding validity,** consistency**, * suitability**for complex disability presentations. Standardised tools risk failingt o capture fluctuating,, hidden,,,or context-dependent disabilities,particularly fo r Autistic children , where communication,sensory processing,and regulation needs vary significantly across environments . Itis also concerning that assessorsm ay not be required t o have specialist qualificationsin allied health ,disabilit y,or child development,a nd m ay receive limited training . This creates arisk of inconsistent assessment outcomeswith significant consequences f or accessto supportsunderthe neweligibilityframework. *** Broadeningof parentalresponsibilit yan d reclassificationoff disabili ty-relatedsupports TheBill’sapproachto defining supportsin relationt oparental responsibiltyraisesconcerns th atd is ability-specificsupp ortsmay bereclassif ied as ordinary parenting responsibilities . Parents oft hechildren withdisable alreadyp rovideextensive additional care,inclu ding continuous supervision,c oregulation,communicationsupport, an dm anagem ento fs ensoryandbehavioura lneeds.Thes esupportsa re disableyspecific andnot comparable to typicalparentingrespon sibilities* ,an dan accompaniedbyas ignificantongo ingburden off advo cacyanc are coordination.* Reclassificati on in this way risks placingunsustainable pressureon families * andreducing ch ildren’ saccess toe ssential suppor tsrequired fors afety,d evelopment,* anda nparticipation.

Risk of participants being excluded from the Scheme without equivalent alternatives Thereis concern that changes t o eligibilityfunctionalassessment criteria couldresultin asignifi cant numberoft partic ipantsbeingdeemedineligibleforthen D IS .* Ifparticipantsare removedfromth eSchemewithoutfully-fundedando perational alternativessuppo rts inplace*,this will resulti na unmetneed,*increased family

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

Submission 216

burden, and increased pressure on mainstream systems that are not designed or resourced to provide equivalent disability supports.

Erosion of Early Intervention and Child Development Outcomes

Early intervention supports are particularly at risk under a more tightly defined functional capacity-based eligibility model. For Autistic children, early intervention is time-sensitive and critical to long-term development outcomes*, including communication developmental outcomes**, including communication, independence,* education participation* dependent needs.* Any delay,** reduction**or restrictioninaccessto early interventionsupportswill likely increaselong-termsupporthequivalent,fully-funded alternative support requirementsand reduce lifetime independence outcomessystemic instability. Requests: We respectfully askthat Government:• Protect access toreasonableanecessarysupportsunderthamended Act.• Ruleouteligibility changes thateexcludeindividualswithgenuinefunctionaldisability-relatedneeds.• Avoidblanketfundingcapsorbenchmarkreductions thatdonotreflect individualisedsupportrequirements.• Clearlydefineparentals responsibilityas careconsistent withachildwithout disabilitv. • Ensure no participantis transitionedoffthen DISI untilequivalent fully-fundeda lternative suppo tsare operational .• Protectcriticalearlyinterventionpathwaysforchildrenwithevelopmental disabilitiesAutism. • Independentlyreview the I CAN func tional assessment tool ,including its validity consistency,and assessor qualification require ments. • Improvecommunicationandtransitionplanningtoreduceuncertaintyandsy steminstabi ty. • Prioritisesystemimprovementande ficiency without reducingaccesstoessential supports.

Conclusion The success of thenDISIs should bem easured not only in financial sustainability, but ine wheth er it enablesAustralianswit h disability to live safe,dignified,

d and ordinary lives.

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

Submission 216

People with disability already invest significant time and energy advocating for the supports and adjustments required to participate in society on equal terms. These reforms must not increase that burden or reduce access to essential supports. We urge the Committee to reject the Bill in its current form and ensure that any future reform is developed through genuine structured co-design with people with disability families representative organisations.Any reform must preserve equitable access to the supports people rely on to build their capacity partakeintheir communitiesand live meaningful lives.Thank you for considering our experience requests.Yours sincerely, redacted redacted• BSc / BA(Hons), Masterof Social Health(Health Ethics), Grad.Cert.of Science(Applied Statistics)

• Parent carerndis participant Neurodivergent personActive member oftheDisability Communityincluding volunteer roleswith adisability advocacy organisationmy local council’s Disablity AdvisoryCommittee.Consent Statement:I consentto this submission being published my contact details withheld name included.