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

Submission 3750

Dear Sir or Madam,

I’m writing with deep concern about the current direction of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) and the National Disability Insurance Agency’s (NDIA) shift towards restricting access based on changing definitions of “significant” disability.

The government has a fundamental legislative and ethical responsibility to protect and support all vulnerable citizens with disabilities. This is clearly outlined in the NDIS Act 2013 and Australia’s commitments to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Support must be allocated based on an individual’s lifelong functional impairment rather than arbitrary diagnostic filtering.

Restricting access or reducing support for permanent conditions like Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) overlooks the biological reality that these are lifelong challenges with significant daily impacts. Classifying certain lifelong disabilities as less deserving of individualised funding constitutes systemic discrimination and leaves vulnerable people vulnerable to severe regression isolation and institutional neglect.

I urge the government to stop arbitrary gatekeeping and address the operational deficiencies and administrative waste within the NDIA. It must uphold its duty of care to protect all individuals living with permanent functional limitations.

On a personal level, I’m deeply concerned about how this might affect my sister, who relies on the NDIS. Her journey under the scheme has been exhausting, but she’s finally reached a level of care and “supported independence” with the guidance of her Occupational Therapist, Support Coordinator, and other Allied Supports. I dread the thought of any changes to the National Disability Insurance Scheme that could change this and leave her vulnerable and significantly impact her daily life.