National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026 Submission 231
I am an independent disability support worker supporting a young adult with high support needs. I am deeply concerned about the proposed NDIS changes and how they may affect the person I support, their family, and many others living with complex disabilities.
The person I support relies on structured routines, trusted support workers, community access, and consistent 1:1 supports to live safely and participate in everyday life. These supports are not optional — they are essential for their wellbeing, emotional regulation, safety, and independence.
Concerns About the Proposed Changes
Cuts to Community Participation
Community access supports help the person I support stay regulated, engaged, and connected to the world around them. Activities like walks, swimming, farm activities, shopping, and routine outings are critical for mental health and emotional wellbeing.
Reducing these supports would likely lead to isolation, increased anxiety, behavioural distress, and loss of independence.
Reduction of 1:1 Supports
The participant I support needs individualised 1:1 care from trusted workers who understand their communication, routines, and support needs.
Moving participants into group supports or shared care arrangements may place them at risk and remove the consistency they rely on daily.
Pressure on Families
The participant’s family already provides a large amount of unpaid care and supervision. Reducing funded supports would place even more pressure on families and increase the risk of burnout and crisis situations.
Independent Support Workers
Many participants rely on independent support workers because they provide flexible, personalised care and strong long-term relationships.
Extra registration and compliance requirements may force many independent workers out of the industry, reducing participant choice and creating workforce shortages.
Standardised Assessments
National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026 Submission 231
People with autism, intellectual disability, communication difficulties, and emotional regulation challenges cannot always be accurately understood through standardised assessments alone.
Support needs are complex and individual, and decisions should continue to involve real- world evidence from families, therapists, and support teams.
Conclusion
I support making the NDIS sustainable, but this should not happen by reducing essential supports for vulnerable people.
The proposed changes risk increasing isolation, family burnout, behavioural distress, and crisis situations for participants with complex needs.
I ask the Committee to protect:
• 1:1 supports • Community participation funding • Participant choice and control • Independent support workers • Individualised support approaches
Respectfully submitted, Independent Disability Support Worker 26 May 2026