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

Submission 2161

28th May 2026

To: Committee Secretary, Community Affairs Legislation Committee

Re: Inquiry into the National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026

I am a sole trader occupational therapist working with NDIS participants primarily with psychosocial disability, a very burnt out therapist who is close to collapse. And that is as a person without disability. This is far far worse for those with disability. Each and every day I am working with participants who are desperate, who are constantly fighting for even a small glimmer of hope, that they will be heard and cared for. I feel helpless and powerless at this point but will not give up the fight. I feel it is important to understand that any Australian could become a person with a disability at any point. It is not something that any person is immune from, disability from illness, accident, chronic stressors that result in mental illness, the list goes on.

These proposed changes will be catastrophic for the disability community and for those working within the disability sector who care a great deal. As a tertiary qualified health professional, with post graduate qualifications (and a hefty hecs loan), I feel my input is continuously rejected. My clinical reasoning ignored by those with little to no understanding of disability. The proposed bill does not align with human need, the needs of those with disability, it appears to put financial cost above human lives.

It is important to point out the amount of revenue the NDIS creates, through jobs, through people with disability being able to get back into the workforce. For every dollar spent over two dollars is put back into the community. Additionally, it is clear that the bill is purely cost shifting, meaning that there will simply be more people with disability within the heath system, placing it under additional pressure and increasing wait times for everybody. There will be more people back on welfare. Providers paying less tax etc etc…….

The new support needs assessments will not be able to accurately determine need. It takes a highly qualified and trained clinician to be able to view a person holistically and accurately document the impacts of a persons disability, looking at person and environmental factors. This cannot be achieved with a questionnaire conducted by non-qualified staff. It makes a mockery of health professionals who train for years to be able to do this work, and it will severely risk the lives of participants.

Australians are already dying because of NDIS cuts. That’s a fact. Australians are already being stuck within the hospital system for lengthy periods. That’s a fact. If this bill passes, it will only become so much worse.

I have been proud of Australia’s NDIS. Citizens of other countries have admired the scheme. This bill will undoubtedly destroy it.

Please withdraw this bill, for the health and wellbeing of all Australians with disability. Let’s work together and make this scheme great again.