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Here is a quick summary:
The Review will be saying that the NDIS should not be as concerned about a person's primary medical diagnosis. They want the focus to be on functional capacity instead. We have heard many reports that for people with rare or multiple diagnoses, the focus on a primary diagnosis can be a real problem, so this could be a welcome change. On the other hand, this change might slow down access to the scheme and force people to undergo lengthy functional assessments. So we will have to keep a close eye on that.
And this is the big news:..Assessments are back on the table
The Review will be recommending assessments and they won't be "independent". They will be performed by government staff or government contractors. The focus will be on support needs rather than functional impairment, which is important, especially for people with intellectual disability.
The Review will also be calling on mainstream services to meet the needs of people with disabilities and they have introduced a new jargon word, "foundational supports". Foundational supports are mainstream services that everyone with a disability should be able to access, including people who are not on the NDIS. This is clearly an attempt to address the "only life boat in the ocean" and "oasis in the desert" scenario that Prof Bruce blames for the increased number of participants on the NDIS.
But we have been calling for accessible and inclusive mainstream services for years and very little has changed. What will be different this time? We are worried that people with disabilities will again fall through the cracks if NDIS supports are taken away before mainstream services become inclusive and accessible.
If you are feeling concerned, then you are not alone
Having experienced the independent assessment trial myself, I'm worried about what this version of assessments will look like. We shouldn't have to repeatedly prove that we have a disability. We don't want intrusive and ineffective tests imposed on us by so-called "experts" who don't know us. However, I take comfort knowing that Bruce was a strong advocate against independent assessments in 2021 and the government has repeatedly committed to codesign any changes to the NDIS. Every Australian Counts is actively involved in the co-design work.
The government needs to stand by its promise
The government needs to uphold its commitments when considering these recommendations and remember its promise to rebuild trust with the disability community. The NDIS will only work when it is codesigned by people with disabilities, so our message to the government is clear – nothing about us without us!
The government needs to make the NDIS Review recommendations public as soon as possible and ask us what we think before making any decisions.
There is a lot to talk about so let's get together!
We are excited to let you know that we will be hosting regular online forums to bring together our Every Australian Counts community, share the latest NDIS news and talk about your concerns and needs. Keep reading below to hear more and to register your place. I hope to see you there.
Dr George Taleporos
Independent Chair,
Every Australian Counts
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