National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026
Submission 4006
To: Community Affairs Legislation Committee Re: National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026
My name is . I am Deaf and I wear hearing aids in both ears. I am fortunate to be a dual citizen of both Canada and Australia, and as deaf person I am familiar with how governments have amended funding and eligibility requirements for equipment and treatment for my particular disability. I am a support worker for deaf and hard of hearing clients at one agency, and a therapy assistant for mental health treatment for deaf and hard of hearing clients at another business, and as such I lack the time to adequately address my concerns to the proposed changes to the NDIS.
My main concern which I will focus on as part of this submission is the changes to ‘functional capacity’ and giving the ability to the Minister to unilaterally make changes to funding levels. Based on my experience in Canada, this kind of power over funding is almost always arbitrary. ‘Functional capacity’ is a loose term that can be made to mean whatever the decision-maker interprets it as. My concern is how will ‘functional capacity’ be determined?
The NDIS provides me with funding to use for hearing aid assessments, therapy in relation to how my disability and the discrimination I experience impacts my mental health, adaptive technology which is sold through predominantly for-profit business models, and Auslan tutoring. These services have all contributed to developing my own independence and provide me with a means to support myself, and have provided me with access to the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community by learning sign language (Auslan) which I use in both my personal and professional life. Being deaf and needing to communicate go beyond merely a ‘functional capacity,’ which is to say how well I communicate. By developing a connection with the Deaf community through learning Auslan, as part of my plan, I have been able to ameliorate mental health issues and stigmas that have dogged me since I was a child.
When I moved to Australia from Canada, I was amazed and honoured that I was eligible to join the NDIS as it provided me with not only a means to support my hearing needs, but also a means to develop a connection with the Deaf community. I have since gained qualifications in Auslan and mental health, and have been showcased in the Victorian government’s Free TAFE advertisement campaign, all because of how the NDIS has not only provided me with a means to communicate, but also a means to connect with others who have experienced the same discrimination and barriers to participating and contributing to society. The NDIS has empowered me as an individual, and given me a means to support myself with dignity and pride.
I have lived experience in Canada of what it means when bureaucrats have arbitrary power over who is eligible for funding and how much they are allowed to receive. I once was denied funding for hearing aids in Canada based on the fact that at the time I worked as a commercial painter, and thus communicating wasn’t a definable aspect of my employment. Once I changed jobs and worked in a bookstore, and occasionally had to use the intercom system, I was deemed eligible for the same funding request. This highlights my concern regarding ‘functional capacity’ and giving a minister unbridled control over an individual’s accessibility to funding. A person’s eligibility for support should be determined by case workers who work with the individual, who can accurately assess that person’s needs and limitations. When funding is determined merely by ‘functional capacity’ and is based on the discretion of a minister, and their needs are matched against pre-set criteria points, it opens
National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026
Submission 4006
the individual to discrimination based solely on their disability. The NDIS made me proud to be a dual Australian-Canadian citizen, and I feel that the NDIS fosters a cultural awareness of the merits of helping each other out. The NDIS is an extension of Australia’s attitude of ‘mateship’ and helping each other to be the best one can be. The NDIS helps me to feel reassured that I will be able to support myself financially well into the future, and allows me to make long term plans for myself, rather than focusing on how I’m going to be able to afford expensive adaptive technologies and Auslan education. I would loath to return to the ad hoc approach to disability care that I experienced as a Deaf person in Canada before moving here to Australia. My NDIS plan is a large part of why I call Australia home now; not only would the proposed changes curtail my ability to work with Deaf and Hard of Hearing clients, who are also NDIS funded, but would also curb my independence by limiting support I have successfully used to improve my well-being and sense of place in society. If the cuts go ahead, it will be yet another reminder that disabled people are seen as expendable, burdensome, and not worthy of being invested in in order to make us functional and contributing members of society.
Thank you for your time.
01-06-2026