Submission 485
To Whom it May Concern,
My name is Jarrod and I and a Team Leader at Southern End Support, based in Albany WA. I have only worked within Disability Support for roughly 2 years, 20 months as a Support Worker and now 4 months as a Team Leader.
The new bill that you are proposing is unrealistic and, in my opinion, will cause more harm than good.
The idea of not taking a person’s individual environment into consideration is impractical. Disability is not one-size-fits-all. Every person is unique, and their environment and circumstances should absolutely be taken into account. Regional towns do not have access to the same services as metropolitan areas, and even when services are available there are often extremely long waitlists. Someone who has strong informal supports will naturally need less funded support than someone who has none, and it would make far more sense to base decisions around those realities. A participant’s support needs are heavily influenced by factors such as: Geographical location. Housing availability. Family and informal supports. Access to transport. Access to allied health services. Community inclusion opportunities.
In regional areas such as Albany, these barriers are amplified. Participants often experience lengthy waitlists for therapy and specialist services, reduced transport options, workforce shortages, and limited alternative supports. Without considering environmental factors, participants in regional communities’ risk being disadvantaged compared to those living in metropolitan areas.
Only taking into consideration a person’s primary disability is also deeply concerning, especially when many disabilities lead to secondary conditions and additional challenges. Expecting people to choose between multiple disabilities in the hope of receiving some level of funding is unacceptable. Many participants we support live with multiple disabilities or co-occurring conditions that interact and compound one another. For example, a participant may simultaneously experience: Autism.
Submission 485
Intellectual Disability. Psychosocial Disability. Trauma-Related Challenges/PTSD. Physical Health Conditions. Anxiety or Depression due to their Disability. Attempting to separate these into one “primary disability†does not reflect the reality of participants’ daily lives and support needs.
There is significant concern that limiting supports to a single approved disability could result in: Reduced funding. Reduced flexibility. Gaps in care. Increased participant distress. Increased carer burnout. Higher long-term costs due to crisis escalation.
The NDIS should continue recognising the complexity of disability and the interconnected nature of many conditions. This could lead to many participants believe their disabilities don’t count or are not important enough. Many families already feel that the NDIS is letting them down, and this is magnified within regional areas where support and access is more limited.
The proposal requiring participants to attempt all available treatments before accessing the NDIS raises serious concerns, particularly within regional communities. In practice: Many therapies are unavailable locally. Waitlists can extend for months or years. Private therapy costs are unaffordable for many families. Some participants deteriorate significantly while waiting for intervention. Delaying access to supports until every possible treatment pathway has been explored risks leaving vulnerable individuals without essential assistance during critical periods of their lives. Early intervention and timely support often prevent deterioration, family breakdown, mental health decline, hospital admissions, and homelessness. The committee should consider the real-world barriers regional Australians face when accessing healthcare and therapeutic supports. Australia is currently in a cost-of-living crisis, Fuel and Food prices being at ridiculous prices, more often than not being more expensive in regional areas. Along with lack of rentals and houses in general, prices going through the roof.
The NDIS has changed the lives of many Australians by providing independence, dignity, and opportunities that previously did not exist. People look to the NDIS for help that they cannot get anywhere else or get refused help because of their disability. We need to keep it that way.
Submission 485
The new bill will set things back years, reinforce people’s distrust and questions they have towards the government.
We urge the committee to carefully consider the practical impacts these proposed changes may have on vulnerable people, particularly those living in regional and rural communities.
Thank you for your time.
Kind Regards,
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