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

Submission 3999

To the members of parliament and those processing submissions to the NDIS inquiry,

As a participant of the NDIS for the past 5 years, I have strong concerns for the proposed budget cuts and changes to the laws. The NDIS has been pivotal in improving my overall wellbeing and my access to community and supports I need in order to complete daily living tasks. Before the NDIS my disabilities ruled my life in such a way that I could not properly care for myself, felt hopeless and was suicidal the majority of the time. I alert you to this not for dramatic effect or pity, but to highlight just how important the NDIS is to not only myself, but others who would have similar experiences. You are not just cutting access to services, you are cutting access to life.

I urge you to put yourself in the shoes of someone with a disability and imagine how you would care for yourself without support. How you would get groceries, how you would eat, how you would socialise and how you would maintain hope and enjoyment of life. Then imagine you don’t have access to health services you need to manage your disability, or access to a psychologist to talk about the impact this has on you and treat your psychosocial disability. You certainly can’t afford to pay for them because you are unable to work due to your conditions. What would you do? Without NDIS funding I would be another statistic, lost to a health system that fails to support the vulnerable. This is not a threat, but a fact.

I also have immense concern regarding the definition of “permanence” under the proposed changes to the law. It has not been made clear what the bill will define it as and I am worried it will not take into account the fluctuating nature of not only my personal conditions but that of others. Will it mean we aren’t allowed to see improvement in our quality of life? Will it mean we must fit into a “one size fits all” disability mould? Our conditions, brains and bodies are complex. We do not fit into neat little tick boxes. Our needs vary on a case to case basis as we are individuals, with our own goals, our own health needs and our own paths. Removing access to community removes our right to choice and control. I worry these changes will remove our right to autonomy over decisions that affect us and our bodies.

I worry we will be denied access to NDIS services simply because we are unable to get treatments that may be considered “available” as they are unaffordable to us or not available in our area. We can not create more of a class division when it comes to health services. It is immoral and unethical.

I urge you to consider the very real detrimental impact these cuts and changes will have on the lives of people with disabilities and find other ways to cut the budget. These proposed changes don’t address fraud or misuse of funds, they only serve to hurt those already struggling to have a life we all deserve.

Sincerely,