Our reference: FOI 25/26-2360 (LEXD 17993)
GPO Box 700
Canberra ACT 2601
1800 800 110
ndis.gov.au7 April 2026
Bob Buckley A4 Co-convenor
By email: foi+request-14438-5a91bbab@righttoknow.org.au
Dear Bob Buckley
Freedom of Information request — Notice of Decision
Thank you for your correspondence of 7 March 2026, in which you requested access to
documents held by the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA), under the Freedom of
Information Act 1982 (FOI Act).
Scope of your request
You have requested access to the following documents:
1. validation of the I-CAN needs assessment tool for use with autistic participants in theNDIS, and 2. describing how to answer questions or queries (from any source) about
NDIS needs assessments using the I-CAN needs assessment tool with autistic NDIS
participantsPlease note, that this request is specific to autistic NDIS participants and information that
is about validation of I-CAN needs assessment tool for a general or non-autistic part ofNDIS participants is not relevant to this request. Please do not provide information about
I-CAN validation that does not specifically address autistic subject distinctly.
Decision on access to documents
I am authorised to make decisions under section 23(1) of the FOI Act. My decision on your
request and the reasons for my decision are set out below.
1I have decided to refuse your request for access under section 24A of the FOI Act on the
basis that all reasonable steps have been taken to locate the documents you have
requested and I am satisfied that they do not exist.
In reaching my decision, I took into account:
• your correspondence outlining the particulars of your request
• the FOI Act
• the FOI Guidelines; and
• consultation with relevant officers of the NDIA.Reasons for decision
Refuse a request for access (section 24A)
Section 24A of the FOI Act provides that an agency may refuse a request for access to a
document if all reasonable steps have been taken to find the document and the agency is
satisfied that the document cannot be found or does not exist.
Paragraph 3.152 of the FOI Guidelines provides that searches should be conducted by the
officers most likely to be able to find requested documents. Accordingly, I have consulted
with relevant staff in the following divisions of the NDIA’s Service Design and Improvement
Group, who could be expected to be able to identify documents within the scope of the
request:
• Service Design
• Co-Design and Engagement; and
• Policy and Practice Leadership.These consultations have revealed that the NDIA is not in possession of documents
matching the scope of your request. This is because the NDIA does not hold any existing
documents relevant to this request. In this regard, Service Design has advised that validation
information relating to the I-CAN tool, in general, would be held by the University of
Melbourne as the owners of the tool and the entity responsible for its development and
validation. Accordingly, no documentation of the kind described in your request has been
created or is held by the NDIA.
2I am satisfied that all reasonable steps have been taken to locate the documents you have
requested and that the documents do not exist. I have, therefore, decided to refuse access
to your request in accordance with section 24A(1)(b)(ii) of the FOI Act.
Co-Design and Engagement Division has however, advised that some NDIS participants
with autism are participating in the Support Needs Assessment (SNA [Developing a new
support needs assessment | NDIS](https://www.ndis.gov.au/about-us/our-policies/developing-new-support-needs-assessment)) simulations and accreditation sessions which may be of
interest to you. Further, the Division has also provided the following data to support this
information:
• 45 participants taking part in SNA simulations have identified as people with autism;
and
• 20 participants taking part in assessor accreditation sessions have identified as
people with autism.You are welcome to lodge further FOI requests if documents surrounding these sessions are
of interest to you.
Rights of review
Your rights to seek a review of my decision, or lodge a complaint, are set out at
Attachment A.
Please contact us at foi@ndis.gov.au if you have any questions or require help.
Yours sincerely
Carolyn [CJW 205] Assistant Director – Information Access Information Access and Privacy Branch Reviews and Information Release Division
3Attachment A
Freedom of Information request – Your review rights
Internal review
The FOI Act gives you the right to apply for an internal review of this decision. The review
will be conducted by a different person to the person who made the original decision.
If you wish to seek an internal review of the decision, you must apply for review, in writing,
within 30 days of receiving this letter.
No particular form is required for an application for internal review, but to assist the review
process, you should clearly outline your grounds for review (that is, the reasons why you
disagree with the decision). Applications for internal review can be lodged by email to
foi@ndis.gov.au, or sent by post to:
Freedom of Information Section
Information Access and Privacy Branch
Reviews and Information Release Division
National Disability Insurance Agency
GPO Box 700
CANBERRA ACT 2601Review by the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner
The FOI Act also gives you the right to apply for the Office of the Australian Information
Commissioner (OAIC) to seek a review of this decision.
If you wish to have the decision reviewed by OAIC, you may apply for the review in writing,
or by using the online merits review application form which is available on the OAIC’s
website, within 60 days of receiving this letter: OAIC Web Form.
Applications for review can be lodged with the OAIC in the following ways:
Online: OAIC Web Form
Post: Office of the Australian Information Commissioner
4GPO Box 5218
SYDNEY NSW 2001Email: enquiries@oaic.gov.au
Phone: 1300 363 992 (local call charge)
Website: www.oaic.gov.au
Complaints to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner or the
Commonwealth Ombudsman
You may complain to either the Commonwealth Ombudsman or the OAIC about the actions
taken by the NDIA in relation to your request. The Ombudsman will consult with the OAIC
before investigating a complaint about the handling of an FOI request.
Your complaint to the OAIC can be directed to the contact details provided above.
Your complaint to the Ombudsman can be directed to:
Phone: 1300 362 072 (local call charge)
Email: ombudsman@ombudsman.gov.au
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