Submission 2660
Proposed NDIS Legislative Changes
I would like to begin by acknowledging that this is my first time writing a submission of this nature. I am not a professional policy writer — I am an Independent Support Worker who feels compelled to speak on behalf of the many people with disabilities and families who cannot advocate for themselves. The proposed NDIS legislative changes have created more fear in the disability community than I have ever witnessed, and I cannot remain silent.
Who I Am and Why I Am Writing
I have worked with people with disabilities for many years, in multiple roles, and I also have personal family experience with disability. I left secure government employment to become an Independent Support Worker because I repeatedly heard the same desperate message from families: “We are not getting the support we need.”
The impact of disability — or of being an unpaid carer — cannot be overstated. It affects every part of life: physical, emotional, financial, social. The proposed legislation has left many people terrified for their future. The fear is palpable. Some families are already at breaking point. We have seen tragedies in the disability community before, including familicide-suicides. If further cuts lead to more preventable deaths, those responsible for pushing through harmful legislation must be held accountable.
The People I Support
My clients range from toddlers to people in their 60s. None of them have a single, simple diagnosis. They have multiple, interacting disabilities and medical conditions. A primary diagnosis tells you almost nothing about their actual needs. Disabilities do not exist in isolation — they overlap, compound, and fluctuate.
Capacity changes daily, sometimes hourly. Informal supports disappear. Medications affect functioning. Stress affects behaviour. Pain affects mobility. No AI system or algorithm can capture this complexity. Only people — specialists, therapists, families, and the individuals themselves — can accurately describe what support is required.
The Reality of Daily Life
Many of the families I support are single-parent households. Many are Autistic, with multiple Autistic family members. The suggestion that funding for Autistic people may be reduced has caused enormous distress. These families are already stretched beyond capacity.
A typical morning shift for me may involve helping a child prepare for school. This is not comparable to supporting a neurotypical child. It requires patience, sensory awareness, emotional regulation support, and constant monitoring to prevent escalation. A meltdown affects the entire household. Without support, the whole family’s day can
Submission 2660
unravel — children late to school, parents late to work, parent’s employment at risk, stress levels skyrocketing.
Removing support does not save money. It simply shifts the cost to crisis services, mental health care, emergency departments, and long-term social consequences. It does not affect only the person with disabilities; it affects a whole family unit.
Community Access and Quality of Life
Many people with disabilities struggle to access the community due to physical barriers, sensory overwhelm, medical needs, or anxiety. Support workers make community participation possible — whether that’s a quiet walk, a swim that eases chronic pain, a gaming club for social connection, attending higher education or simply having someone to talk to that helps with problem-solving or to prevent loneliness.
These are not luxuries. They are what make life meaningful. Without them, people become isolated, depressed, and disconnected.
The Myth of “Informal Supports”
The idea that families can simply “do more” is unrealistic and harmful. Many people with disabilities have no informal supports at all. Their families often lose their own supports due to exhaustion, financial strain, and burnout. Paid supports are often the only thing preventing total collapse.
Parents of children with disabilities already carry extraordinary responsibilities. They spend countless hours navigating medical systems, education systems, funding systems, and waitlists. Every waiting list is full. Every phone call is a battle. Every appointment requires time, money, and emotional energy they do not have. People with disabilities or their family members do not have the capacity for extra administrative tasks. Removing funding that supports a person with disabilities will remove their access to essential service.
The Real Problem Is Not the People Who Need Support
As a taxpayer, I want the NDIS to be sustainable. But the solution is not to punish the vulnerable.
The real issues are:
- organisations rorting the system
- excessive spending on legal battles against individuals
- inefficiencies that drain resources People with disabilities are not the cause of the budget blowout. They should not be the ones to be punished and pay for it.
Submission 2660
The Human Cost
I cannot change the system alone, but I can speak for the people I support. The proposed changes feel cruel and inhumane. Many families are already at breaking point. No one should live in fear of losing the supports that allow them to survive. This is life and death for some people.
No one chooses disability. No one wants strangers in their home. People want independence, dignity, and the ability to live as a family without constant crisis.
From a Personal Perspective
I expect these changes will directly affect a family member of mine and their level of funding. I see firsthand the ramifications this will bring. I fear for the mental health of the family unit if this funding is reduced or withdrawn. Due to distance and other circumstances, they have no informal supports. There is a single parent in crisis who will surely break from this strain. Decisions will then need to be made for the care of the children involved. Sadly, the system that was meant to help our vulnerable is broken.
My Plea to the Committee
I am asking you — as humans, not just policymakers — to see the people behind the numbers.
Please:
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Withdraw the proposed legislation.
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Listen to the people whose lives depend on these decisions.
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Recognise that disability is complex and cannot be reduced to categories or algorithms.
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Protect the supports that keep families functioning and individuals alive. We are all one accident, one diagnosis, one unexpected event away from needing the NDIS ourselves. The people I support are not burdens. They are members of our community who deserve dignity, safety, and hope.
Please do not take that away from them.
Thank you for reading this.