National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026 Submission 551
I am not the best with words or grammar, but I need to communicate the significance of the NDIS in my life to you.
My NDIS funding has significantly improved my quality of life as a 21 year old woman with ASD level 2.
I have struggled with my mental health since I was 12, I was finally diagnosed with ASD just after my 21st birthday and able to access NDIS funding. In the past 7 months my mental health and independence has significantly improved. I have a routine, I am healthier, I feel more comfortable in public spaces, and I finally feel confident enough and like I have enough support to attend TAFE in July after several years of putting off higher education.
My social and community supports have been the biggest thing to help me. I no longer feel isolated and I am gaining skills towards living life independently.
Haircuts, shopping, and trips to cafes may seem insignificant to you, but to me it has been vital in improving the way I live and my health.
I am scared to ask for a reassessment in fear I lose my funding. How are you really going to appropriately and accurately police who does and doesn’t need funding out of people already accessing the scheme?
Not to mention how much time and money goes into getting onto the scheme. It is inaccessible already. I know several people who need the supports that I have but cannot afford the testing in order to access the scheme. Not all disabled people have support systems. In fact it is hard to find or create a support system when you are disabled. Paying to get the support you need and risking not being rewarded the help puts a lot of people in a difficult financial decision. Cutting funding is intensifying this problem and ensuring less and less people are getting the support they need. Stricter guidelines don’t mean that those getting kicked out or rejected don’t need help, it just means they aren’t being provided the help they need.
There are a significant amount of ways disabled people are neglected and discriminated against in Australia, I don’t understand why you feel the need to exacerbate the situation.
(Also, look at the stats for what the NDIS does for the economy and jobs in this country, in a cost of living crisis and horrendous job market, this really doesn’t seem like a good decision).
The proposed cuts to the NDIS would be devastating for almost 1 million Australians. My disability does not mean that I am worth less, it doesn’t mean that anyone is worth less and taking away what can very easily be a life saving measure for that many people is abhorrent.
The potential of losing my funding has caused me severe anxiety and an overwhelming feeling of hopelessness. The NDIS is incredibly important not only to the people it currently helps, but to everyone. Just because you weren’t born with a disability doesn’t mean you won’t have one in the future. Don’t you want the help to be available in case you ever need to access it ?
National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026 Submission 551
Disabled people are sick of being neglected by society and treated as lesser. We need our supports and we deserve our supports.