National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026
Submission 2755
NDIS Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026 – Senate Submission
I am a person in my mid 30s with Level 2 Autism writing to share what is essential for people with disability. I grew up without many essential supports. My childhood, early adulthood and life before NDIS were really hard and I experienced extreme loneliness and shame. My mum and dad spent hours every day caring for me and I was still a very unhappy person who had no friends and very few skills to care for myself. NDIS supports have helped me gain independence, relationships and a career. I am now married, living in my own home and working part time. I strongly encourage everyone reading this submission to consider what it will take for NDIS supports to empower people with disability to live their best possible life.
In considering s9B, Functional Capacity and a standardised tool for testing disability, it is important to consider that very few disabilities are simple and straightforward. Diagnosis of my disability began in adolescence, and neither myself nor my family had considered that my many challenges in life might be disability related. I have always considered it pretty straightforward that I can dress myself, but I also cannot tie my own shoes but would still buy shoes with laces. Fortunately I have a family and NDIS supports that can make sure I buy the right kind of shoes. However, in a short assessment I just forget all the things I can’t do, because life is going well and I have most of the supports I need. I will tell you that I am able to do things, but someone who knows more about my disability will be able to find out I actually can’t, or rely on the support around me to get things done.
I am scared that if I have funds in a support category cut, like has been suggested in s34A this will lead to decreased quality of life and earlier death. The current suggestion is a cut to Core Assistance With Social and Community Participation and this would be a disaster for my supports. This is support for me to attend paid and volunteer work and to go to essential medical appointments. It is support to bring my groceries in and put them away. It is support to get my laundry done and get everything put away. Day to day these are not life-sustaining supports, but year to year they are. At times when I do not have these supports, I am not able to volunteer or work, so I am isolated and do not earn money. When I do not have support to cook and clean I order delivery or eat noodles and don’t have money, and my house gets very dirty. Poor nutrition, poverty, isolation and never going to medical appointments become life-threatening issues over the years and lead to early death. When I gained access to the NDIS I was 30kg heavier and struggled to walk short distances. I was not fine before the NDIS, and if I do not have these continuing supports I do not think it is true that I will be fine.
National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026
Submission 2755
Informal supports to children and adults can only give what they are able to and are already overextended. Most parents in most places for all of history would give their children everything they can to be happy and healthy. A parent should not be expected to be a psychologist, OT or speech therapist. It is simply not possible for one parent to give up work to be a full time carer, and then pay more than the total family income for therapies. It is not possible for parents to make friends for their child, to manage self harm in their child, to supervise a child who is prone to running onto the road while also managing all of the responsibilities of parenting and regular life. Removing supports from disabled people and placing expectations upon their family’s will not increase family’s ability to provide supports. However it risks family breakdown and dysfunction, with greatest risk of critical harm and death to people with disability and their family members.
I am concerned about participant welfare in regards to Plan suspension and revocation for non-contact (s40A / s30(1A)). I would encourage the Senate to consider whether the NDIA should have a positive responsibility to investigate participant welfare before suspending their plan. It is shortsighted as to the lives that disabled people are living. I know NDIS participants who have never engaged with their plan in any way and leave it all to the NDIS. Some don’t have phone numbers, or emails, or both. Some are not able to access their plan and rely on their paid NDIS supports. People are already extremely stressed and anxious about what these changes mean, and are likely to avoid any contact from unknown numbers or even written correspondence.
I have often heard that people were “fine before NDIS” but I was not fine, my family was not fine, and I was far from able to participate in my community the way I am today. In the last few years I have had so many times I felt proud of myself. I volunteer and work in roles that I enjoy. I don’t have enough time to meet up with my friends because I am so busy. My partner and I invite my parents over for morning tea and talk about how to support them together as they get older. We walk the dog and wave hello to the neighbours. I didn’t have any of this before the NDIS. These changes will mean that myself, or other Australians like myself will lose these supports. It’s what I ask you to think about when considering this Bill. Please act to make sure no Australian is denied a happy and ordinary life.