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

Submission 3768

Dear Community Affairs Legislation Committee,

I am writing to express my strong opposition to the proposed amendments to the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).

I am deeply concerned that these changes will negatively affect disabled Australians and reduce access to life-changing and, in many cases, life-saving supports and care. The NDIS exists to ensure people with disabilities can live with dignity, safety, independence, and inclusion in the community. Any amendments that restrict eligibility, reduce supports, or make services harder to access risk undermining those goals.

One particularly concerning proposed change is the requirement that individuals undergo every available treatment for their condition before being considered eligible for support. This approach is not practical, ethical or realistic. Certain treatments may not be affordable, accessible, medically appropriate, or desired by the disabled person or their family. Some treatments may involve significant risks, long waiting lists, geographic barriers, financial burdens, or severe emotional and physical strain. In some cases, there may be little evidence that a treatment would meaningfully improve a person’s condition or quality of life.

It is not fair, compassionate or humane to expect disabled people to pursue endless medical interventions simply to prove they deserve support. This kind of requirement risks excluding vulnerable people from essential care – or forces them to undergo further stress, pain and medical trauma – and places an unreasonable burden on families already navigating complex disabilities and support systems. Access to the NDIS should be based upon genuine need, and assessed on a case-by-case status informed by each unique situation, individual medical recommendations, and family preferences/requirements.

This issue is deeply personal to my family. My cousins-by-marriage are non-verbal and autistic, and they rely heavily on NDIS support in their daily lives. The assistance they receive is not a luxury — it is essential, and critical to their family. Through the NDIS, my cousins are able to access therapies, communication support, specialised care, and assistance that significantly improve their quality of life and wellbeing. Likewise, my aunt and uncle often depend heavily upon others to help care for their sons (such as respite care, and, in the future, full-time residential care); especially as they get older, my aunt and uncle need to trust their sons will continue to have access to a high quality of life, and the dignity and comfort they deserve. For most parents it is difficult to comprehend relying on others to ensure the safety, dignity and comfort of children who are grown up but still require full-time care: it is utterly terrifying for such parents when they fear that the current support systems for their children may not be available in the future. What happens to disabled people who do not have family to provide unpaid for care? Or whose family members are too elderly or unwell to provide this care? Making this kind of critical care harder to access, or removing it entirely, leaves irreplaceable disabled individuals such as my cousins dangerously exposed and at risk of isolation, declining health, and reduced independence. Further, without reliable and adequate support, families such as my aunt and uncle’s face enormous emotional, physical, and financial strain – with no relief in sight.

For these reasons, my aunt and uncle and their extended family, are very concerned about the real-life impact of the proposed changes to the NDIS.

I understand the importance of ensuring the NDIS is sustainable and properly managed. However, reforms should focus on improving access, accountability, and service quality, not creating additional barriers for people who genuinely depend on this support to survive and participate in society.

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

Submission 3768

I urge you to carefully reconsider these amendments and to consult directly with disabled people, families, carers, medical professionals, and advocacy organisations before implementing changes that could have serious long-term consequences. Disabled Australians deserve compassion, security, dignity, and meaningful support. The NDIS should continue to protect and empower those who rely on it. Thank you for taking the time to consider my concerns. I sincerely hope you will act to preserve and strengthen the supports that so many Australians depend upon. Yours sincerely,