National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026
Submission 3438
Submission of Disapproval Regarding
Proposed NDIS Bill
To the Committee,
I write to express my strong opposition to the proposed amendments to the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) and the devastating consequences these changes may have on children with disabilities, their families, and their long-term wellbeing.
The proposed amendments appear to significantly underestimate the realities faced by families raising children with complex disabilities and support needs. The suggestion that many of these responsibilities should be absorbed as “parental responsibility” demonstrates a concerning lack of understanding of the extraordinary demands placed on families who provide around-the-clock care, supervision, advocacy, therapy coordination, crisis management, and behavioural support.
The psychological impact of reducing or removing essential supports cannot be overstated. For families such as mine, these changes do not simply result in inconvenience-they create serios welfare risks. Without adequate support, my children face increased vulnerability to mental health deterioration, self-harm, eating disorders, school refusal, social isolation, developmental regression, and potentially hospitalization. These are not hypothetical concerns. They are risks that families navigate every day.
I invite members of this Committee to spend a week in my home and experience firsthand what daily life entails. Witness the challenges involved in simply getting children ready for school, attending specialist medical and developmental appointments, managing behavioural crises, ensuring safety in public spaces such as supermarkets, and responding to constant dysregulation and distress. Observe the reality of trying to prevent absconding, self-injury, aggression, or harm to siblings while simultaneously attempting to meet the needs of every child in the household.
The burden placed on families extends far beyond caregiving. Many parents, particularly single parents, are unable to maintain consistent employment because the level of care required is equivalent to a full-time job. Yet these proposed changes suggest that such responsibility should simply be absorbed by families without additional support.
How can a single parent realistically provide financial security when government assistance falls shorts of covering basic living expenses such as rent, food, utilities, transport, and therapeutic supports necessary to ensure their children can meet fundamental developmental milestones? Families are already struggling under unprecedented cost-of
National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026
Submission 3438
living pressures. Reducing disability supports while living costs continue to rise will force many families into crisis.
The impact extends to siblings as well. Siblings often live in environments where significant attention must be directed toward safety management, behavioural regulation, and crisis prevention. They too deserve the opportunity to feel safe, supported, and included within their family and community.
The proposed amendments risk increasing social isolation and reducing community participation for children with disabilities. Without adequate supports, many children will lose opportunities to develop friendships, build independence, engage in education and acquire the life skills necessary to participate meaningfully in society. This is not only detrimental to the individual child but also contrary to the principles of inclusion, equality, and human dignity.
Access to appropriate disability support is not a luxury. It is a fundamental human right. Every child deserves the opportunity to live with dignity, access education, participate in their community, and reach their potential regardless of disability. Every family deserves support that recognizes the realities of disability rather than dismissing them as ordinary parenting responsibilities.
I urge the Committee to reconsider these amendments and engage directly with the families who will be most affected. Policy decisions should be informed by lived experience, evidence, and genuine consultation with those who navigate these challenges every day.
The voices of families, cares, and people with disabilities deserves to be heard, respected, and reflected in any reforms to the NDIS.
Yours sincerely,