National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026
Submission 2623
Name:
Location: Brisbane, Australia
Submission to the Senate Standing Committee on Community Affairs
Inquiry into the NDIS Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026
I am a person living with an invisible disability and an advocate for disability rights, which I believe should be genuinely person-centred. I also have a partner who is autistic and currently receives support through the NDIS. While I am not a participant myself, I see every day what the system makes possible and what is at risk when it does not work properly.
My partner did not receive adequate support as a child, as the NDIS did not exist at the time. The supports he now receives have made a clear difference in his life. His support worker, , helps him with structure, planning, and goal coordination. With that support, he has been able to develop his practice as an artist, submit work to competitions, sell pieces, and connect with others in the arts community. I have watched him become more confident and more engaged in his work and daily life since receiving this support.
I am concerned that parts of this Bill will put that progress at risk. I am particularly concerned about provisions that allow the assumption of “alternative supports” (s 25B(4)) and provisions that allow funding to be set below what is actually required to meet a person’s needs (s 34A). These changes seem to move away from individual assessment and toward assumptions about what people can manage without adequate support.
My concern is that people like my partner, who struggle with initiating tasks, maintaining routines, and managing daily activities without structured support, will be expected to manage in ways that do not reflect their lived experience. These are ongoing difficulties, and without support they become significant barriers to everyday functioning.
If his supports were reduced or removed, it would have a serious impact on his ability to maintain his work, his routines, and his social connections. The progress he has made would likely be disrupted, and daily life would become much harder to manage.
I am also aware of families already experiencing pressure in the system, including Kathryn Denny in Brisbane, who is struggling to secure adequate supports for her autistic, non-verbal son. These situations are already difficult under the current system.
I am asking the Committee to amend this Bill so that safeguards for participants are real, enforceable, and based on individual need rather than assumptions. At a minimum, I ask that these changes be delayed and subject to full independent review and meaningful consultation with people with disability and their families.
The NDIS exists to support people to live ordinary lives with dignity. That purpose should not be weakened in the name of sustainability.
Kind regards,
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