National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026
Submission 4263
Dear People
Please read the attached booklet.
It details the living arrangements for my son Jackson West and his neighbour Daniel Connaughton. Karen Connaughton and I worked for 11 years to establish this Intentional Community and we have been supporting the community for the past 13 years - that’s 24 years of hard yakka to give our sons the lives they deserve and enjoy.
My son is profoundly intellectually disabled and requires 24 hour support. He has this support (through an innovative model) by living with a co-resident.
It is all explained in the booklet.
The Intentional Community was officially opened by the then Governor General of Australia Her Excellency Ms Quentin Bryce and Ms Katy Gallagher also spoke at the launch.
Please do not reduce Jackson and Daniel’s funding. I am 73 now and too damn old to be reassessing his life, replanning, recreating support and trying to give him a good life. His father killed himself 17 years ago and I have to do all this by myself.
I also started a courier business for him in 1997 and he has worked delivering mail - with full support from his driver/support worker - every weekday of his (healthy) life.
Please consider this request with compassion.
Yours sincerely
Sally Richards OAM (for services to people with a disability) (Jackson’s mother)