National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026
Submission 2212
Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee
Inquiry into the
National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026
Introduction and Personal Context
This submission addresses aspects of the National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment ( Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026 hat may affect participant suppor ts, asessment processes, administrative requirements, flexibility,participant independenc e,and functional capacity. I am anndis participant living alone ina retirement villagewith no informalsupports.I live w ith multiple complex disabilities thate interact withe one anotherandsignificantly aff ectmyfunctionalcapacity,independence,mobility ,communication,safety,a ndability to participate ineveryday life.WithoutNDIS supports,I would be unableto maintainm y current levelof independenceandcommunity participation.TheN DISallows meto continuelivingin my own home anda communityrather thanbecomingmore isolated .The ND ISgives me independentande has significantly improved m y func tional capac ity. # The Critical Impact o f NDIS Supports ## Overall I mpact on Daily Functioning It assistsme with daily livingsupports assistive technology communityparticipationmaintaining myhome environment attendingappointments managingdaily tasks a n dremaining connectedtot he world around me.Wit houts these support s,mys ability ton function safelyan dindependentlywould bes ignificantlly reduced.## Assistance wi th Dail y Living Assistan cewi thDailyLiving is essentialtom y indep endence.Thes esupports help memaintainasafe and hygienic hom eevironment managelaunderya ndhouseholdtasksorganise clothingahouseholds itemsreducehazardssupport mynutrition-related needs an dstassistmetwithtasksthatIcannot safetyleundertake independently.
National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026
Submission 2212
These supports are not luxuries. They are reasonable and necessary disability supports that allow me to continue living safely in my own home and maintain my independence.
Assistive Technology
Assistive Technology is equally important. Technology helps me communicate, understand information, manage appointments, participate online, remain socially connected, navigate complex systems, and reduce my reliance on others. It provides practical solutions that help compensate for the impact of my disabilities and enables me to participate in daily life in ways that would otherwise not be possible.
Social and Community Participation
One of the most significant benefits of the NDIS has been Social and Community Participation support because it has given me greater freedom, independence and access to essential parts of life. Before receiving these supports, there were places I had not been able to safely access for approximately 30 years because of my disabilities. With formal supports, I have been able to attend doctor appointments, dentist appointments, and minor medical procedures that would have been extremely difficult, and in some cases impossible, for me to safely manage alone.For many people, attending a medical or dental appointment is a normal part of life. For me,eing able to attend these appointments with support represents something much greater.It represents independence, safety, dignity, and participation in society.After approximately 30 years of severe restriction, these supports have allowed me to regain parts of my life that I thought had been lost forever.Social and Community Participation support has also enabled me to safely access suitable community environments, participate in supported walking, maintain physical and mental wellbeing, reduce isolation, and reconnect with parts of life that had been lost to me for decades. It has given me the freedom to leave my home safely, attend essential health appointments, participate in life beyond the walls of my home, and engage with thecommunityin waysthatmanypeopletakeforgranted.
The Relationship Between Support and Functional CapacityMost importantly,the NDIShas improvedmy functional capacity.TheNDIS hasn’t removedmynedisabilities,buthas helpedme function better,live more safetily,maintain independencenandparticipate morfullyinsociety.Forthefirst timeinaproximately29years,Ihavebeenabletoaccessparts offlife thamanyAustralians takeforgrentedincludingattendingmedicalandedentalappointmentswithappropriatesupport.
National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026
Submission 2212
If these supports are reduced, my functional capacity will be reduced. My independence will be reduced. My ability to safely attend appointments, manage daily living, participate in the community, and remain connected to society will be reduced.
Concerns Regarding the Bill and Associated Reforms
Administrative Burdens and System Complexity
I am concerned that provisions of the Bill and associated reforms may reduce flexibility, narrow access to supports, increase administrative burdens, and make it more difficult forparticipants to access supports that are essential to daily life. Disabled people should not be forced to constantly prove their worth or justify everysupport they receive. Nor should disabled people be portrayed as receiving luxuries oranecessary benefits in order to justify budget reductions. Public discussion often overlooksthe reality that many supports are essential for safety, health, independence, participation,and basic quality of life. We are not lawyers. We are not accountants. We are not policy experts. Disabled peopleshould not have to become lawyers, accountants, advocates and policy expertssimply tok eepthe suppor ts t hat al low themto live saf elyand independently . W ea re dis abledpeop letryingt o l ive a s ordina ry an d mea ningfulal ifeasa possibl e.Theincreasing complexityofthesystem ,thec onstantneedtok j ustifysupp ort ss,t heuncertaintysurroundingfuturefundingcreatessignificantstressan danxiet yforpeoplewhoarealreadymanagingsubstantialdailychallenges.
Unintended Consequences of Reducing Supports
I am concernedthatprovisionso f theBill anda nd associatedreforms mayresultin unintendedconsequence sf ore bothparticip antsanda nbroadercommunity.Inmycase,N DISsupports helpme maintain myfunctionalcapacity,independence,safety, an abilitytoliveinthecom munity.Thes esupports helpprevent furtherdeterioration andreducetheriskoffurtherrelianceonothergovernment-fundedservices.Ifessential supportsarereduced,delayed,o r made moredifficulttoc access,the resultmaynotbesavings.I nestead,it mayleadtoi neaserehealthproblems,i ncres edsocialisolation,reduced functional capacity,greater demandonth e healthsystem,and increased relianceono rmore intensive and costly suppor ts inthe futu re.T h en D IS shouldbevieweda sa ns t inv estmentim maintaining independenceand preventingdecline.Support ingpeop leto remain safe,h elthy,a ndlivinginh their own homes isoften abetteroutcome forbothparticipantsa ngovernmentthanwaitinguntilaperson’scircumstances deteriorateando rn orecostly interventionsbecome necessary.
National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026
Submission 2212
For these reasons, I am concerned about reforms that may weaken supports, reduce flexibility, or make it harder for participants to access the reasonable and necessary supports that allow them to live independently and participate in society.
Concerns about Impairment-Based Assessments
I am concerned that assessment processes arising from these reforms may place too much emphasis on standardised assessment tools and not enough emphasis on individual circumstances, lived experience, clinical evidence, and professional judgement. P…
National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026
Submission 2212
and reduced long-term costs associated with disability. Reducing essential supports may therefore have wider consequences beyond individual participants, including impacts on employment, health services, carers, families, and local communities. The NDIS should be viewed not only as a cost, but as an investment in maintaining independence, functional capacity, dignity, participation, and long-term social and economic outcomes.
Conclusion and Recommendation to Parliament The NDIS was created to improve functional capacity, increase independence, reduce isolation, and help disabled Australians participate more fully in society. In my life, it has achieved those goals.The NDIS has not removed my disabilities, but it has given me independence, improved my functional capacity, and allowed me to participate in life in ways that were not possible before. For the first time in approximately 30 years, I have been able to access parts of life that many Australians take for granted, including attending medical and dental appointments with appropriate support.I respectfully ask Parliament to ensure that any reforms protect reasonable and necessary supports, preserve flexibility, reduce unnecessary administrative burdens, and do not make it harder for participants to access supports that are essential to daily life.I also ask Parliament to ensure that any assessment process includes proper human judgement and does not rely too heavily on standardised tools, computer-generated processes, or algorithmic decision-making that may fail to capture the real-life impact of complex disability.The NDIS should be recognised not only as a cost, but as an investment in independence, health, employment, community participation, social inclusion, and long-term economic outcomes. Supporting people to remain safe, independent, and living in their own homes helps prevent deterioration, reduces pressure on other government-funded services, and benefits the broader community.It would be deeply concerning if reforms intended to save money resulted in reduced independence, increased isolation, declining functional capacity, greater pressure on the health system, and poorer outcomes for the very people the NDIS was created to support.For me, these supports are not optional. They are the difference between independence and dependence, participation and isolation, maintaining my functional capacity and losing it,
dignity and decline.