The issue of trust was central to our terms of reference. We understood that rebuilding trust started with us. With the support of Ministers, we undertook to do this Review differently to other government reviews by amplifying the voices of people with disability and their families, carers, representative organisations, providers and workers and their representatives.
We wanted to hear from as many people as possible. We provided many different ways for people to be involved. We particularly wanted to create opportunities for people who don’t usually participant in government reviews to have their say.
Our approach included (see Appendix C for further details):
- inviting submissions to the Review in different formats: written, verbal by phone, video, Auslan, artwork and poetry
- hosting workshops and meetings where we invited people to share their experiences and discuss ideas with us
- partnering with disability representative and carer organisations so they could engage in depth over months on key topics of interest with the communities they represent
- attending events and forums hosted by the disability community, providers and others
- engaging in hundreds of meetings to hear directly from individuals and organisations
- collaborating closely with small groups of people with lived experience and other disability expertise, who helped us test and improve our ideas for improving the participant experience of the NDIS and on better ways to support children and families
- drawing on the evidence, perspectives and insights of previous reviews.
We were humbled by the community’s response.
Since October 2022, we travelled to every state and territory - including remote and regional areas - and met thousands of people. We received more than 3,850 submissions online, more than three times the number received by the Productivity Commission in 2011.
The voices of people with disability have been at the centre of our thinking. Their voices, their feedback and their ideas have resulted in a set of recommendations based on their lived experiences and expertise.
While we have laid out a blueprint for reform, we also know there is much detailed work still to come to implement our recommendations. This work must continue the way it has begun - in partnership with people with disability. Continuing the engagement is the only way to ensure the success of these reforms and to continue to rebuild trust. The title and theme of our report Working together to deliver the NDIS must continue following the release of our Review.