National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026
Submission 2510
Submission to the Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee.
Inquiry into the National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future
Generations) Bill 2026
Submitted by :
Date 30th May 2026
I consent to this submission being published.£
My name is and I am the mother of a 28 year old NDIS participant. My daughter has chromosome deletion syndrome, monosomy 1p36, a diagnosed Intellectual disability, Autism and Generalised Anxiety Disorder.
My daughter is an independent young woman who lives with a severe disability that significantly limits her functional capacity. To navigate her day safely, she needs assistance with physical tasks, self-care, and daily routines. She also experiences challenges with communication, social interaction, sensory processing, and cognitive and executive functioning.
I am writing to express my opposition to the proposed National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) reforms, specifically the anticipated cuts to social and community participation funding. While I understand the need for the long-term financial sustainability of the scheme, a reduction of funding for crucial community access is a short-sighted measure. It will directly compromise the safety, mental health, and fundamental quality of life of vulnerable participants, including my daughter, while ultimately driving up crisis-intervention costs elsewhere in the health and social systems.
I believe that a reduction in funding for community and social participation for many participant will result in an increased risk of social isolation and reduced community safety.
Social and community participation funding is a structural support that allows my daughter to interact with the world safely. Without adequate funding for trained support workers my daughter’s ability to engage with the community will be severely restricted. Good person-centred, active support is foundational for many NDIS participants to genuinely engage in their community. It allows individuals to have choices, and gives them control over how they engage with their community. Active support allows a participant to build their capacity to become active participants in their own lives rather than being passive recipients of care. The consequences of reducing social and community funding by 50% will force many NDIS participants into involuntary isolation.
My daughter has complex needs with a limited ability to regulate her emotions and manage her behaviour in the community. Routine, structured, community engagement is a vital component of emotional regulation. Depriving my daughter, and other individuals of regular supported community access will drastically limit environment stimulation. The proposed reduction in social and community participation will significantly increase the behaviours of concern for my daughter and many other individuals with complex needs. The ability to manage these behaviours without adequate external support will place unsustainable pressure on families and households.
The proposed cuts to social and community participation funding for NDIS participants, particularly those with complex needs has profound implications for a person’s quality of life, mental health and overall wellbeing. Significant cuts to this funding will result in a loss of independence for many. Participants rely on support workers to attend events, volunteer in communities and attend to daily tasks such as medical appointments and shopping. This support builds the capacity of individuals. Adequate funded support helps to teach life skills and independence. A significant reduction in funding would force participants to choose between basic physical care and social connection ultimately eroding their quality of life.
The ability for many individuals to participate in community activities , local groups, sports and arts gives individuals a sense of identity outside of their disability. Humans are inherently social beings. Isolation is a catalyst for psychological distress. For many participants, community access is their only interaction with the outside world. Being unable to access this could lead to increased levels of depression and anxiety for many NDIS participants.
National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026
Submission 2510