The Review panel was in Geelong today, talking with the local disability community about the direction the Review will take when recommending changes to the NDIS.
Geelong is one of the first two original NDIS trial sites for people aged 0 – 65 years.
The panel continued discussions from the ‘What we have heard report’ and Professor Bonyhady’s ‘Magic Pudding’ speech delivered at a Newcastle disability community event recently.
They outlined big reforms directions they are considering including:
- Rolling out community-wide foundational supports, aligned with mainstream services.
- Improving the participant experience to be person centred and responsive to intersectional disadvantage.
- Strengthening access to the scheme based on significant functional impairment rather than medical diagnoses.
- Consistently defining reasonable and necessary
- Using early intervention with best practice, evidence based approaches for children with developmental concerns
Professor Bruce Bonyhady AM, said today that they will deliver their recommendations to Disability Ministers at the end of October, and then it will be up to Australia’s governments – Commonwealth, state, territory and local to respond.
“Almost every part of the government is connected to the NDIS. The NDIS cannot be all things to disability and so you cannot fix the NDIS without fixing everything that sits around it.”
“It is in the national interest that governments should finish the job of building the NDIS and its eco-system as was envisaged in 2013.”
“Make no mistake, NDIS is here to stay. That is why our unifying purpose must be to ensure it realises the potential and keeps its promise to people with disability and their families.”
Professor Bruce Bonyhady AM, NDIS Review co-chair's speech to participants, families and carers