Proposed NDIS changes to improve flexibility for people with disability

Greater accessibility and flexibility are among the aims of several changes to the National Disability Insurance Scheme as the Federal Government plans for the final stage of its roll out.

NDIS Minister Stuart Robert announced what he termed as practical changes during a speech to the National Press Club in November.

The changes include:

• A review to streamline NDIS processes and cut red tape aimed at ensuring participants who require small adjustments to their plan can do so without a full plan review,
• Independent functional assessments – fully paid for by the NDIS – from 1 July 2020 to examine a person’s functional capacity in order to make planning and access decisions. This follows an analysis revealing inconsistent decisions for participants with autism, intellectual disability, and psychosocial disability,
• The chance for participants to see a draft plan before it is submitted for approval,
• The ability to be more flexible with plan funding,
• Plan durations of up to three years, rather than the current annual review, for participants in stable situations,
• NDIS plans made available in a range of accessible formats, including large font, audio, e-Text and braille.

Recent data shows more than 310,000 people have an NDIS plan, up from 30,000 in 2016. According to the government, about 500,000 people will be part of the NDIS by 2024-25.

Gateways has more than six years proven experience with the NDIS since it began in the Geelong region in 2013. We welcome any changes that ensure children and adults with a disability and their families can implement their plans to develop new skills, try new experiences and achieve their personal goals.