National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026
Submission 2685
I am a profoundly deaf and disabled person who is currently a participant on the NDIS. I am very alarmed and deeply concerned by the proposed changes to the scheme. The changes proposed are not only extreme but are simply dehumanizing. We have the basic human right to live our lives in decency and with dignity. The proposed changes will take this away from us. The proposed changes are a punishment to disabled people who did not choose the circumstances which they live in, who did not make the mistakes in the system that have caused cost blowouts and more importantly, did not abuse the scheme as suggested by the media and other organizations.
The NDIS has been a significant contributor to my quality of life. Without the NDIS I would simply be not able to hear, as it has funded my Cochlear implants and their upgrades, spare parts, repairs and more. I without my hearing I would not be able to communicate, to work, to attend essential services without support or to simply socialize with my friends, family and the public. Having said that, I only have funding from the NDIS for my hearing loss and not for my other disabilities which were more recently acquired. I have been fighting for the last two years to have my other disabilities added and this battle has been devastating. I have lost my dignity, my freedom, my ability to work and more. I have been bedridden, homebound and isolated. I have experienced and witnessed firsthand the stress due to the lack of support and funding required. How much stress and physical toll it has put on my family, especially my a parents who are my carers. Cutting/ reducing funding that provides appropriately trained carers and the essentials supports required to carry out daily living tasks and care safely will fall on the families and friends who are not equipped for this. This is what makes me frightened about the proposed changes to the scheme. If I am unable to get the support I need already, how many more people like me, or possibly have more significant disabilities compared to me are going to be eligible to get support? How many disabled people are going to become the burden of the family who will be unable to provide the appropriated care required? How many battles do we have to keep fighting? I’ve spent my whole life like many other people with disabilities fighting discrimination, fighting for my rights, for my safety & well-being, for support and yet the fight seems to only keep getting harder and worse.
These proposed changes are targeting the wrong people. The participants- the disabled people- are not the ones who should be dealing with the consequences of the system’s mistakes and cost blowouts. It’s the providers who carry out the the frauds, not the participants. It’s the providers who set the charges and take advantage of us with their price gouging. It’s the providers who are claiming to be something that they simply are not for the gain of profit. It is not the participants- the disable people- who are taking advantage of the system, we are the ones simply fighting for our needs, our dignity and our freedom. It’s the NDIA and the excessive costs towards lawyers hired for tribunals that are blowing out costs. It’s the NDIA and their decisions claiming we are not disabled enough, we don’t need a wheelchair, we don’t need to get out of the house, we don’t need to be able to shower, to eat, or to sleep. Its the NDIA who are asking for the reports that costs thousands to obtain and make a decision based on what? Certainly not these reports from health care professional who are experts in our conditions and have provided extensive and detailed information about out disabilities, the support we need and how they affect our quality of life. The proposed solution to this?! To reduce/cut the participants ability to have their plan decision reviewed or reassessed. This is deeply concerning and goes against our human right to live our lives with dignity. Communication, support and access between NDIS and participants needs to be more accessible, clearer and met with consideration of each unique disability, not reduced and met with penalties.
I ask the committee to consider my lived experience and concerns when reviewing this Bill.
National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026
Submission 2685