To the senate committee,
I am writing to you regarding the proposed amendments to the NDIS Act “Securing the NDIS for Future Generations”.
I am a psychosocial participant on the NDIS.
Before I acquired my disability, I worked in the field of microbiology and emigrated to Australia as a skilled migrant.
I specifically want to address the proposed government cuts to social and community participation funding.
Since the onset of my disability, I have become acutely aware of the stigma that surrounds mental health in society. My experience tells me that social isolation only increases the stigma in society. There are two reasons for this. The first is that if more people living with psychosocial disability remain at home, we are less visible in society, leading to an increased sense of difference between ourselves and others when
National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026
Submission 2180
we do access the community. The second is that with no support to access the community, individuals lose their confidence and skills, thus increasing the gap between them and others in society. Supporting community access not only benefits people living with disability; it benefits everyone. The NDIS supports I receive have enabled me to serve as a board member and as the leader of a short course at my place of worship. Without support these contributions would not be possible for me. Furthermore, people with disabilities have the same rights as all other Australians. We all have the right to live life to the full. People with disabilities are just as deserving of being able to access the community for their socialising and everyday needs as everyone else. The NDIA have already determined funding amounts that they have deemed reasonable and necessary through
National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026
Submission 2180
planning processes. Further cuts therefore deprive us of the support we need to access the community. Finally, I would like to say that investing in the social and community participation of people with disabilities reduces overall government spend. People who are active and enjoying their communities are less likely to be using up hospital beds than people who remain sedentary at home. I would like the senate to carefully consider the above when they are looking at the overall government spend on the NDIS and other services. I believe that cutting social and community supports is not the right way forward for creating a sustainable government budget, or is it supportive and respectful of the rights of people living with disability. Thank you for taking the time to consider the above.
Submission 2180 Yours sincerely, Benjamin Ranasinghe