Submission 2259

Submission on the NDIS Amendment Bill

I am a: ☐ Disabled person X Family member / supporter X Clinician / worker ☐ Other: ___________________

My Background and involvement with the NDIS:

I have a son with a disability. I did not know before his birth that he would be born with significant difficulties. Since then, I have developed an incredibly deep appreciation for the support provided through the NDIS. Through physiotherapy, speech therapy, feeding therapy, occupational therapy, and other supports, he has exceeded expectations.

He went from being a child where doctors said he “may not be able to walk or talk” to now attending mainstream schooling, thriving academically, making friends, and even running around. I am blessed everyday with him.

As he has progressed, we are now using the NDIS less — less therapy, less funding, and less support. In many ways, I believe this reflects how the scheme was designed to work.

After experiencing countless appointments, therapies, assessments, and navigating the system with my own son, I realised not everyone has the ability, knowledge, and/or capacity to do this. Navigating disability supports can feel like a full-time job, and without the right team around you, things can quickly fall apart. This is one of the reasons I became a support worker.

Through my work, I have seen that not everyone has someone advocating for them and not everyone can maximise the support available to them.

My main concern about this Bill is:

My concern about this Bill is that the people who genuinely need funding and support the most are increasingly falling through the cracks. Many have received poor advice, poor support coordination, or have been guided by people who either do not understand the system properly, are inadequately trained, or are simply not providing the support participants deserve.

Every week, I see participants and families crying because their supports are not working for them or because the funding available does not reflect their real-world needs.

Submission 2259

Several participants I support have psychosocial disabilities. One participant in particular presents extremely well and was able to advocate for herself during her review meeting.

Unfortunately, what decision-makers did not see were the days and weeks where her condition significantly impacts her functioning. These are periods where I genuinely worry about her safety, wellbeing, and the wellbeing of those around her.

These are the moments planners and decision-makers often do not see. This is only one example of someone who- without appropriate supports- could become socially isolated, experience worsening mental health, and require significantly more intensive intervention later.

I have seen the successes of the system, and now my work and shown me how the system can be failing people. The above participant has had her funding cut in a review and now is scrambling to pull her life together. This case is not an abnormality and as of late, has become the norm.

My position on this Bill:

☐ I support it ☒ I do not support it ☒ I have serious concerns

Because:

If this Bill proceeds in a way that reduces access to supports, some of the participants I assist may no longer have the funding required to leave their homes. They may lose access to simple activities many people take for granted — going for a coffee, visiting the library, or participating in their community.

I do not support this Bill because I want others to have what my son received: a strong support network, opportunities to build independence, and the ability to become active and contributing members of society. My son’s ability to build skills and access the community was easier… he had me, his mother. But what of those who don’t have family or friends to help them get out. It is not an obligation for parents to take care of hose over 18 and I have now seen the cases where these people are abandoned because they are in the “too hard basket” for their informal supports.

I also have serious concerns because these changes do not only impact people with disability — they impact families, carers, and support networks as well.

If supports are reduced for people with psychosocial disabilities or participants lose funding that enables them to simply leave the house and engage with their communities, vulnerable individuals risk becoming isolated, overwhelmed, and powerless.

Submission 2259

I strongly believe these impacts will extend beyond the individual participant. Families, neighbours, carers, moral support workers, and communities will ultimately absorb the consequences, leading to increased burnout and greater strain on already stretched support systems.