National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026
Submission 3435
Re: Inquiry: The National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future
Generations) Bill 2026
I am an architect specialising in designing homes for people with disabilities – I have worked with NDIS clients from the best part of a decade. This professional experience has given me an insight into the life-changing potential of the NDIS for individuals – giving folks with disability dignity and independence and making life easier for their loved ones and carers.
This professional experience has also been incredibly frustrating; the cost of delays that are caused a lack of understanding of disability from NDIA employees; by slow approvals or rejections of supports for participants which have been clinically justified often outstrip the cost of supports initially requested. Not to mention the cost of arbitration finding in favour of participants more often than not. This professional experience tells me that greater investment in the capacity of the NDIS is a pathway to saving costs before supports are removed from participants.
I add to this personal experience of people I know who benefit from NDIS support. One friend in particular has outlined to me that without her support workers, she would lose the capacity to leave her home, to contribute to society in the incredibly valuable ways she does on boards and advisory panels. I have known this friend for a little over two years and seen the way that health and mobility have improved over that time with the assistance of the NDIS – all of this would be put at risk with the cuts that are proposed.
I believe the NDIS and the government would do well to learn from the wealth of knowledge in the disability community about where efficiencies can be made within the NDIS before making cuts of this magnitude.