National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026
Submission 3092
Submission to the Senate Inquiry into the National Disability Insurance
Scheme Amendment Bill
(Anonymous Submission) This submission is made anonymously by a person with more than 35 years’ experience in disability support as a volunteer carer, disability swimming teacher, coordinator of a not for-profit organisation, Special Needs Education Assistant, grandparent and parent. The views expressed are based on decades of practical experience supporting people with disability in metropolitan and regional Western Australia.
Individualised supports must remain central People with disability require different levels and types of support depending on their physical, intellectual, sensory, psychosocial and social needs. The NDIS should continue to assess each participant as an individual. Policies that reduce supports through broad funding restrictions or standardised assumptions risk overlooking people with highly complex needs.
Complex support needs Many participants require two support workers to safely complete essential daily activities such as transfers, toileting, showering, vehicle transfers and community access. Parents with disability may also require this level of assistance to safely care for their children, attend school activities and participate in community life. These supports are often essential rather than optional.
Regional and rural disadvantage Access to appropriately trained providers is significantly more difficult in regional Western Australia. Workforce shortages, travel distances, limited provider availability and increasing administrative requirements all reduce access to quality support. Any reforms should recognise the additional challenges faced by rural participants and providers.
Training and quality of the workforce Quality and safety depend on a skilled workforce. The submitter has observed occasions where workers supervising clients during hydrotherapy or swimming activities were distracted and not actively supervising participants. Better mandatory training would improve participant safety. Practical water-safety training, including freely available resources such as Swimming for All and recognised water-safety programs, should be encouraged or required for workers supporting participants in aquatic settings.
National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026
Submission 3092
Children with disability Families of children with complex disability, including children who are non-speaking or require augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), often face long delays before accessing therapists and communication devices. Delayed intervention during childhood can have lifelong consequences for learning, communication, independence and participation.
Recommendations
Retain genuinely individualised functional assessments and funding decisions. Ensure participants with complex needs can access two-to-one support where clinically and functionally required. Recognise the additional costs and workforce shortages affecting regional Australia. Strengthen workforce training and competency requirements, particularly for high-risk supports. Reduce unnecessary administrative burden while maintaining appropriate safeguards. Improve timely access to therapy and communication supports for children with disability.
Conclusion
The NDIS has transformed many lives, but people with the highest and most complex support needs continue to face significant barriers in accessing appropriate assistance. Any legislative reforms should preserve the principles of individualised support, participant safety and equitable access regardless of where a person lives.