Submission Regarding NDIS Legislative Reforms
To whom it may concern, I am writing as both an NDIS participant and the parent of three children who are also NDIS participants. One of my children has recently turned 18, however all three continue to rely on disability supports. The proposed and recent NDIS legislative changes therefore have the potential to affect every member of my family. Within a single household, the proposed changes have the potential to affect four NDIS participants. This means that any reduction in flexibility, support availability, participant rights, or access to services is multiplied across our family rather than affecting only one individual. Decisions that may appear minor when viewed through the lens of a single participant can have
National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026
Submission 2779
significant cumulative impacts when they affect an entire family. I am concerned that the reforms move the NDIS further away from the principles of individualised support, flexibility, and participant choice and control. As a family with multiple participants, we understand firsthand that disability affects every person differently. Support needs cannot always be neatly categorised or predicted, and what is reasonable and necessary for one participant may look very different for another.
My own disability creates challenges in daily life and affects my functional capacity. At the same time, I continue to carry the responsibilities of parenting and supporting three children with disabilities. The NDIS has played a vital role in helping our family function, maintain stability, and participate in our community.
National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026
Submission 2779
As a parent, I am not only managing my own disability and support needs, but also helping my children navigate theirs. One of my children lives in disability-supported accommodation, and maintaining family relationships requires ongoing coordination and support. The NDIS does not impact us as separate individuals; it impacts us as a family. When supports are reduced, delayed, or made more difficult to access, the effects are felt across our entire household. I am concerned that increased restrictions on funded supports, more rigid planning processes, and future assessment models may fail to recognise the complexity of families like mine. When supports are reduced or become more difficult to access, the impact does not stop with the individual participant. It affects the entire household.
National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026
Submission 2779 Families are already providing substantial unpaid support. We coordinate appointments, advocate within multiple systems, manage crises, support emotional wellbeing, and fill service gaps when formal services are unavailable. There is a limit to what families can reasonably absorb. Any reforms that assume family members can simply provide additional unpaid care risk increasing stress, burnout, financial hardship, and poorer outcomes for both participants and carers. I am also concerned about the potential use of standardised assessment tools and fixed funding approaches. Disability is not a one-size-fits-all experience. Planning decisions should continue to consider professional evidence, individual circumstances, lived experience, and the participant’s own goals rather than relying primarily on standardised measures. I support efforts to ensure the long-term
National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026
Submission 2779
sustainability of the NDIS. However, sustainability should not be achieved by reducing access to essential supports or shifting responsibility onto participants and their families. I ask decision-makers to ensure that:
- Participant choice and control remain central to the NDIS.
- Planning processes continue to recognise individual circumstances.
- Families supporting multiple participants are recognised within policy development.
- Fluctuating and complex support needs are properly considered.
- Participants retain strong review and appeal rights.
- No participant loses essential supports due to administrative or legislative changes.
- People with disability and their families are meaningfully consulted before further reforms
National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026
Submission 2779
As both an NDIS participant and the parent of three NDIS participants, I ask that the real-world impact of these reforms on families be carefully considered. The decisions made today will affect not only individual participants but entire families who rely on the NDIS to live safely, participate in their communities, maintain family relationships, and achieve a good quality of life.
Thank you for considering my submission. Sincerely,