National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026

Submission 3656

I am the grandmother of a young man who has an intellectual disability. He relies on community access funding for every part of his life outside the home as the level of his disability means he has little sense of safety and requires support to do most things. I want you to understand what you are taking away if these supports are cut.

My grandson loves his volunteer jobs. He delivers Meals on Wheels to elderly people who look forward to seeing him. He brightens their day with his smile, his routine, and his kindness. He gives them connection — something many of them don’t have.

He doesn’t just receive support. He gives it.

And he is proud of that.

Without community access funding, he loses those roles. The elderly people he visits lose him too.

If his hours are cut, my grandson will be spending many hours at home. He is unable to work. No volunteering. No outings. No community. No purpose.

He becomes isolated, anxious, and confused — and my daughter, who already carries more than most people could imagine, is left to manage everything.

I have watched my grandson fight for every bit of independence he has. I have watched my daughter sacrifice her work, her rest, and her health to keep him safe. I have watched our whole family bend around the gaps left when support is taken away. But when we live hours away, we are of little help.

These cuts don’t just affect a budget line. They affect a young man’s dignity. They affect a mother’s ability to cope. They affect the elderly people who look forward to ’s visits.

Please protect social and community access funding. It is not optional. It is what allows to contribute, to connect, and to live a life with meaning.

Please do not take this away from him and his family.

Yours faithfully,

27.5.2026