Submission to the Senate Community Affairs Committee
Re: National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment Bill 2026
My name is and I live in Victoria. I am the father of multiple children who are NDIS participants, and I am writing to express my deep concern about the proposed changes to the NDIS and what they may mean for my children, my wife, and our family’s future.
As a father, my role is to help my children become as independent, capable, and fulfilled as possible. For most parents, that means teaching life skills and encouraging their children to gradually build a life of their own. For families raising children with disability, that journey requires additional support, specialised expertise, and opportunities that are often only available through the NDIS.
One of my sons has Down syndrome and significant support needs. He has worked incredibly hard throughout his life to learn skills that many people take for granted. Through the support of therapists, support workers, and community programs, he has learned to walk, communicate, develop daily living skills, and participate more fully in the world around him.
What I see when I look at my son is not a budget line or a cost to government. I see a young man with hopes, goals, and potential. He wants friends. He wants to be involved in his community. He wants more independence from his parents. He wants the chance to contribute and be valued.
The NDIS has helped make those goals possible.
Our family relies on a combination of support workers, therapy services, community participation programs, support coordination, assistance with daily living skills, and continence supports. These services are not optional extras. They are the building blocks that allow our children to continue developing and moving towards greater independence.
My concern is that the proposed changes are moving us in the opposite direction.
Every time supports are restricted, removed, or made harder to access, the message families receive is that our children’s opportunities matter less than balancing a budget.
What worries me most is that reducing supports will not reduce need. It will simply transfer responsibility back onto families who are already carrying enormous responsibilities.
If my children lose access to the supports that help them learn, socialise, and regulate their emotions, the consequences will not only affect them. They will affect our entire family.
As our sons move through adolescence, the challenges become more complex. Without ongoing support to build emotional regulation, communication, and independence, behaviours can escalate. We have already experienced periods where a lack of appropriate support has led to increased stress, conflict, and instability within the home.
Families should not have to reach crisis point before receiving help.
The cost of inadequate support is paid in family breakdown, social isolation, declining mental health, lost employment opportunities, and greater long-term dependence.
I am also deeply concerned about the impact these changes are having on my wife.
She has spent years advocating for our children, navigating complex systems, attending appointments, and ensuring our sons receive the supports they need. She is also a cancer survivor.
The ongoing uncertainty surrounding the future of the NDIS has placed enormous stress on our family. I see the worry she carries every day. I see the fear about what might happen if supports continue to disappear. I see the concern about who will care for our children if her health deteriorates again.
No parent should have to wonder whether their child will lose access to the supports that allow them to participate in society.
No parent should have to fear that years of hard-earned progress could be undone by decisions made without meaningful consultation with the people most affected.
The NDIS has never been about giving our children an advantage over others. It has been about giving them a fair chance.
A fair chance to learn.
A fair chance to participate.
A fair chance to build friendships.
A fair chance to contribute to their communities.
A fair chance to live with dignity.
I strongly urge the Committee to reject this Bill in its current form until genuine consultation has taken place with people with disability, families, carers, and disability organisations.
I also urge the Committee to:
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Protect participant choice and control.
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Preserve meaningful rights of review and appeal.
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Maintain funding for community participation and capacity-building supports.
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Focus on reducing fraud, waste, and exploitation by providers rather than reducing supports for genuine participants.
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Reduce unnecessary bureaucracy and administrative burden.
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Ensure that decisions affecting participants are made by qualified, experienced, and compassionate people who understand the realities of disability.
The sustainability of the NDIS is important, but sustainability cannot be achieved by reducing opportunities for people with disability or increasing the burden on families who are already doing everything they can.
My children deserve the opportunity to continue building skills, relationships, independence, and a future filled with possibility. I ask the Committee to remember that behind every policy decision are real families whose lives will be shaped by the choices made today.
Thank you for considering my submission.
Yours sincerely,