Explainer: What are the proposed changes to the NDIS Act?
What are the good, concerning, and missed opportunities in the draft NDIS Act and Rules? Our friend Chadwick is a Senior Solicitor from the Public Interest Advocacy Centre and he has very helpfully written another NDIS Act explainer to try and make it easy for people to understand.
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Support for decision making and the NDIS
The NDIA have just given everyone an extra two weeks to tell them what they think about support for decision making in the NDIS. We asked our friend Catherine McAlpine from Inclusion Australia to tell us what people with intellectual disability and their families think needs to change, and what Inclusion Australia is already working on.
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Vulnerable Australians forgotten in race to reopen
In January 2021 the Commonwealth government released its COVID-19 vaccine rollout strategy. The plan prioritised those most likely to be exposed to COVID-19, and importantly those most likely to become ill and die from the disease – a sensible approach, similar to many jurisdictions around the world.
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Open letter: Regarding the reality of booking a COVID vaccination for children with disability and medical conditions
This month, young people with disability joined the list of people who are allowed to get the COVID-19 vaccine. Being eligible is one thing – but how easy is it to actually make happen? Just as we have heard from so many people with disability and families in our community – Heike and her son Bodhi found out just how difficult it can be – the hard way. This is Heike’s open letter to the government.
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Why the Federal Government’s story about NDIS funding differences doesn’t add up
New data about NDIS costs has been released by Minister for the NDIS Linda Reynolds and the NDIA in the last week or so. Here’s our quick analysis on what the Federal Government is getting wrong in its story about well-off people with disability in the cities getting more funding than people in rural and regional areas.
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Onwards We Go!
There’s been collective sighs of relief in the aftermath of Independent Assessments being ditched. Now, let’s get on with the real business of making the scheme work and the EAC community are 110% focused on what really matters.
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You did this! NDIS compulsory assessments have officially been dumped
Last Friday, Minister for the NDIS Linda Reynolds met with each of the state and territory Disability Ministers, to ask them to support her plans for the biggest changes to the NDIS since it started – including compulsory ‘independent’ assessments.
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Explainer: What changes to look out for in the NDIS Amendment Bill
What are the top 5 big issues we can expect to see in the new NDIS legislation? We’ve all heard plenty about compulsory assessments – but what other changes to the NDIS are going to be hiding in there? Our friend Chadwick – who is a Senior Solicitor from the Public Interest Advocacy Centre – has very helpfully written an explainer to try and make it as easy as possible for people who are not experts in law to understand.
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“Stop independent assessments. Sack the CEO. Sack the Board.” Catch the blistering NDIS speech from disability advocate Kevin Stone
“The NDIA is at risk of turning people with a disability and families, who have been the Scheme’s greatest supporter and most important ally, into a desperate and angry enemy.” Kevin Stone, the highly-regarded intellectual disability advocate has delivered a blistering speech on the NDIS – calling not just for independent assessments to be scrapped – but also for the NDIA CEO and Board to be sacked. Watch the video, read the transcript – or join the fight here.
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Are the proposed Independent Assessment tools capable of informing funding decisions in NDIS participant plans?
What’s wrong with NDIS independent assessments? We asked our friend Muriel Cummins from Occupational Therapy Australia’s NDIS Taskforce to help explain why the selected assessment tools are not fit-for-purpose, and why they should not be used to determine plan funding.
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Terms of engagement for NDIS Minister Reynolds from the disability community
Disability advocates today delivered new NDIS Minister Linda Reynolds a formal ‘terms of engagement’ in a bid to reset relations between the NDIA and people with disability, their families and community.
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Your chance to speak at NDIS independent assessments hearings
The Joint Standing Committee on the NDIS is currently holding an inquiry into NDIS independent assessments. The committee wants people with disability and families to make 5-10 minute statements at their upcoming hearings. Here’s how you can get involved.
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NDIS compulsory assessments paused – but the fight for the NDIS is far from over
Many thousands of people with disability, family members and supporters have spoken out in recent months about their fear and anger about the planned changes to the NDIS. Today we have SOME good news from the federal government – but there is still a long way to go.
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Joint media statement from disability advocacy organisations on NDIS assessments
We welcome reports that NDIS Minister Linda Reynolds will pause a plan to force people with disability to submit to compulsory assessments to access support, but want to see much more detail about what that means for the future of the NDIS.
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I quit my job with the NDIS in protest against independent assessments
“We are not being listened to and I have had enough.” Carl Thompson has just quit his job as an NDIS Local Area Coordinator out of anger and frustration with the National Disability Insurance Agency.
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Proposed changes to NDIS intervention for autistic children
The NDIA’s latest consultation paper on autistic kids is about more than early intervention like the title suggests. It proposes rigid and fixed funding blocks for children’s NDIS plans, well below averages in Nick Avery’s region. Nick wants you to know why this consultation is so alarming – and encourages you to provide feedback.
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NDIS Autism consultations are “futile and frustrating” – this new consultation is a case in point
Late yesterday afternoon on Stuart Robert’s last day as NDIS Minister, the NDIA released a new consultation paper called “Interventions for children on the autism spectrum”. The paper proposes radical new changes to NDIS funding and supports for Autistic children. Katharine Annear explains why this consultation paper has Autistic people outraged.
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A list of the online news about NDIS compulsory assessements
Your concerns about changes to the NDIS are being heard. On March 11 the disability sector released a joint statement of concern. Since then the media about our community’s concerns hasn’t stopped. It has been hard to keep track of – so we are putting all the links together here to help make it easier.
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Making noise on NDIS compulsory assessments – MPs, Senators and the media
We really made some noise! More than 4,000 of you have spoken out against NDIS compulsory assessments using this website. 100+ organisations have endorsed the Joint sector statement. Our elected representatives are hearing our side of the story. And hundreds of thousands – if not millions of people right across the country have heard our calls through the media. Together our voices are stronger. And together we are making a lot of noise.
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An Open letter to Minister for the NDIS Stuart Robert
Dr George Taleporos thought long and hard about accepting the NDIA’s invitation to take part in the pilot of the new NDIS assessment process. He understands why everyone is concerned about the introduction of these new compulsory assessments and all the changes to the NDIS planning process. But in the end he hoped he could make a difference by providing detailed feedback about what the process was like. But now with the assessment complete George has a message for the Minister for the NDIS. And that message is stop – and come and talk to us about what should come next.
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