Submission to the Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee
Inquiry into the National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for
Future Generations) Bill 2026
I am making this submission as a single parent, kinship carer, regional resident and community services worker. My perspective comes from both lived experience and my professional experience supporting families navigating disability, domestic and family violence, child protection, housing stress and financial hardship.
I support the need for the NDIS to remain sustainable for future generations. However, I am concerned that many of the current discussions around reform are increasingly focused on cost containment, value for money and narrowing access, rather than the original vision of the NDIS.
The NDIS was never intended to be simply a funding scheme. It was established because Australia recognised that people with disability have the same rights as everyone else. The Scheme was designed to support people with disability to live ordinary lives, participate in their communities, develop independence, achieve their goals and exercise genuine choice and control over the supports they receive.
I am particularly concerned about the increasing emphasis on what is considered “parental responsibility”. While parents absolutely have a responsibility to care for their children, there is a significant difference between ordinary parenting and caring for a child with substantial disability-related support needs.
Many parents of children with disability provide levels of care that go far beyond what would reasonably be expected of any parent. They coordinate therapies, attend specialist appointments, manage medication, advocate within education systems, support behavioural regulation, manage safety risks, assist with communication, respond to sleep disturbances and provide supervision well beyond what would be expected for a child of the same age.
For single parents, these demands can become overwhelming. Many are trying to remain employed while also functioning as a case manager, advocate, therapist, behaviour support worker, transport service and full-time carer. The reality is that when disability supports are reduced or declined on the basis of parental responsibility, the responsibility does not disappear. It is transferred back onto families who are often already operating beyond capacity.
This has significant impacts on workforce participation. Many parents reduce their hours, decline promotions, leave employment entirely or experience ongoing financial hardship because the support systems around them are inadequate. The broader economic
contribution that carers make is often overlooked when discussing the cost of the NDIS.
I am also concerned about the assumption that mainstream services can meet the needs of children and adults who may no longer qualify for supports.
In my experience, mainstream systems are already under immense pressure.
Schools are increasingly expected to support children with complex disability-related needs but often do not have the staffing, training, resources or funding required. Teachers and support staff work incredibly hard, but many schools are struggling to adequately support students with significant behavioural, communication, sensory and developmental needs.
Families are frequently contacted to collect children early, reduce attendance hours, attend repeated meetings or manage crises that occur during the school day. In some cases, children disengage from education altogether because the required supports are simply unavailable.
Health services face similar challenges. In regional and remote communities, families often wait months or years for access to paediatricians, psychologists, psychiatrists, occupational therapists, speech pathologists and other specialists. Workforce shortages are severe and many services rely heavily on telehealth. While telehealth can be valuable, it is not always appropriate for children or people with complex support needs.
A system cannot be considered a genuine alternative if it is inaccessible.
Living in regional and remote Australia creates additional barriers that are often overlooked in policy discussions. Families may need to travel hundreds of kilometres to access services. There are fewer providers, fewer support workers, fewer therapy options and fewer opportunities for early intervention.
I am concerned that reforms may disproportionately impact regional families who already face significant disadvantage in accessing disability supports.
I am also concerned that discussions about value for money often fail to recognise the broader outcomes achieved through disability supports.
The value of the NDIS cannot be measured solely through immediate financial savings.
Appropriate supports help people participate in education, gain employment, build relationships, develop independence and contribute to their communities. They reduce the likelihood of family breakdown, mental health crises, hospital admissions and involvement with other government systems.
When supports are removed, the costs do not disappear. They are often transferred to schools, hospitals, emergency departments, mental health services, child protection systems and unpaid carers.
Most importantly, the NDIS should remain focused on the person with disability. Disability support is not simply about funding. It is about dignity, inclusion, human rights, participation and opportunity.
People with disability deserve more than the minimum required to survive. They deserve the opportunity to learn, grow, build relationships, participate in their communities and live meaningful lives to the best of their ability.
I urge the Committee to ensure that any reforms preserve the core principles upon which the NDIS was established: choice and control, equity, inclusion, participation, independence and respect for the rights of people with disability.
Thank you for considering my submission.