Submission on the NDIS Amendment Bill
Name:
I am a: ☐ Disabled person X Family member / supporter ☐ Clinician / worker ☐ Other: ___________________
My main concerns about this Bill is: I fear these changes will be detrimental to the health and wellbeing of so many who are already at risk. The tightening of time constraints and increase of formality raises interacting with the NDIS from an already exhausting experience to one that could now be life-threatening should emergencies happen. If someone is in hospital, suffering from severe burnout, or has any other emergency occurring at the time, they could have their funding paused or even affected depending on response times, which to an already vulnerable community to do untold damages to people. The proposal, which includes reducing flexibility regarding plan reviews and changes in crisis, will severely impact disabled Australians negatively, especially as some conditions can change and worsen quite suddenly (such as sudden hearing drops, mental health breakdowns, and so much more). Furthermore, the way funding will be altered to categories of support is a gross misunderstanding of the individual nature of disabilities. Whilst some experiences may be universal, each person’s disability is individual and requires different needs. Some disabilities, like deafness, is a spectrum and someone with low level hearing loss that is stable will be different to someone with low level hearing loss that is worsening, and different from someone with profound deafness with access to Auslan, and different again to someone with profound deafness who doesn’t have access to Auslan, for example. Their access needs will also be different based on location- such as children in rural areas vs. children in major cities.
This Bill may affect people I support because I have seen first the toll NDIS already takes in order to allow necessary access for social, physical, and mental support, and for that process to become even more demanding on individuals and families whom have such limited energy is concerning and fraught with danger.
What I want the committee to understand is that these changes will cost Australians their lives and wellbeing, and impact costs. Furthermore, the reduction of support, individuality, and flexibility around that support will inevitably lead to further more expensive health and community problems in time.
My position on this Bill: ☐ I support it X I do not support it X I have serious concerns
Because of everything that I have outlined above. This will be detrimental to the well-being of so many Australians who already are facing more challenges in their day to day lives than the average Australians.