National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026
Submission 971
To whomever it may concern,
Hello, my name is and I have been a Support Worker since 2022, supporting Participants on the NDIS with specific individual needs in their day-to-day lives in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
The participants I have supported include people living with psychosocial disabilities, acquired brain injuries, neurodevelopmental disorders, and mobility impairments. In my experience as a support worker, these individuals rely on appropriate supports to maintain safety, independence, and participation in the community. Any reduction in their rights or access to supports has the potential to increase vulnerability and negatively impact their health and wellbeing. For these reasons, I do not support the proposed bill.
Without the NDIS, and without the advocacy provided by support workers, support coordinators, and occupational therapists, I am concerned my participant may have been overlooked within the public health system, which could have resulted in further deterioration of their health and wellbeing. In this instance, my participant required urgent support for a psychosocial crisis. On presentation to hospital, there were initial barriers to admission, and without appropriate advocacy and NDIS funded support, there was a significant risk that the severity of their presentation may not have been fully recognised or escalated in a timely manner. I was able to remain with my participant for an extended period in the emergency department, providing support, assisting with communication, and advocating for a comprehensive risk assessment and appropriate care. During this time, it was identified that my participant was experiencing acute suicidal ideation and was at risk of harm to themselves or others. Through ongoing advocacy and collaboration with the treating medical nurses and doctors, my participant was ultimately admitted to a psychiatric inpatient ward to receive the appropriate level of care and treatment. This experience highlighted to me that access to the public health system alone does not always ensure timely or adequate support for people living with disability or complex mental health needs. Without an advocate present to communicate risk, history, and support requirements, there is a real risk that individuals may not be fully understood within acute care settings. It also reinforced the critical role of NDIS-funded supports in bridging the gap between participants and mainstream health services, ensuring individuals are not only able to access care, but receive appropriate, timely, and person-centred treatment.
Without the NDIS, one of my participants living with an acquired brain injury would have had limited or no access to community participation, significantly restricting their ability to develop independence and engage meaningfully in society. Access to the community is essential in fostering a sense of purpose, autonomy, and inclusion and upholding choice and control which is fundamental to participants quality of life.
Without the NDIS, participants would be significantly disadvantaged, with limited or no access to assistive technology that is essential for maintaining independence and reducing the daily challenges associated with disability. This lack of support would directly impact their quality of life and ability to function safely and effectively. In addition, individuals would be forced to bear the full financial burden of essential supports, including both psychosocial and physical disability services, resulting in substantial out-of-pocket costs and further entrenching inequality in access to care.
To not look at Participants disabilities as a whole is incredibly concerning, to recognise one disability a person may be living with but at the same time ignore the “less important” disability they could be living with can be detrimental to their lives, it is a form of discrimination.
The NDIS is meant to be based on choice and control. Reducing this funding so significantly takes away from that principle, because it limits a participant’s ability to access the supports they genuinely need to participate in daily life. I support people with psychosocial disabilities, neurodevelopmental disorders, and physical disabilities, and I see first hand how essential this kind of support is. For some participants, external environments can be overwhelming without support. For others, executive functioning challenges mean that “simple” daily tasks are not actually simple at all. And for people with mobility impairments, community access is often not possible without assistance.
National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026
Submission 971
If this funding is reduced, I worry about the impact it will have on my participants. It can lead to increased isolation, reduced independence, and difficulty managing basic day-to-day activities. Over time, this can have a significant negative impact on their overall health and wellbeing.
Choice and control also applies to a Participant and their choice as to who supports them. Many of the people I work with have built strong, trusting relationships with independent or unregistered support workers who understand their needs, communication style, and preferences. If participants are no longer able to maintain these supports, it risks disrupting continuity and the progress they’ve already made. The same applies to support coordination. I believe it is really important that participants have genuine choice in who supports them to understand and implement their plan. When participants are able to choose their support coordinator, they are better able to communicate their needs, understand their funding, and use their plan in a way that actually works for their life. Removing or limiting that choice takes away from the core NDIS principle of participant led support.
The Bill in its current form is harmful and should not be passed by Parliament.