News Hub Opinion
Voices of experience on living with disability, inclusion and how the NDIS is transforming lives.
Pandemic experience shows the NDIS is still not working like it should
“Please stop making this so hard. We are bruised and fragile already, COVID has made us even more vulnerable, and then we have to fight against the very service that is meant to be helping us. Please stop making our needs a battleground, stop assuming we are somehow trying to swindle services we don’t need, and just let us have the NDIS that we were meant to get.”
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New SDA rules are a win for participants and for the NDIS
There have been some great changes recently to the rules about Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA). We know it can be hard to stay on top of everything that is happening so we have asked our good friend and resident SDA expert Dr George Taleporos to explain it all for us.
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Corona’s brand new world
The last few months have been really really tough for a lot of people in our community. But for EAC supporter Lumi Winterson, the pandemic has given her the freedom to explore activities that are great for her mental health and wellbeing.
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Self managing my NDIS package
Heather Coombes was one of the panelists at our Make it Work forum in Redlands Queensland. She has self managed her NDIS plan right from the start – and has some useful advice for anyone who might be considering it.
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The Federal Court decision to fund sexual supports – and what it means for for all NDIS participants
Last week, the Federal Court of Australia sent a clear message to the National Disability Insurance Agency. And that message was – if an NDIS participant needs a support because of their disability, the NDIS must fund it.
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COVID-19 contingency planning: everything actually worked!
Someone in my home got the dreaded phone call last week – he’d been exposed to COVID-19 and needed to self-isolate. And to my extreme shock, all our contingency plans actually worked as intended!
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Disability, health and the coronavirus: Why action is urgently needed
We all have stories to share about when the medical system has let us down. But people with disabilities have more than the average person.
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A big AAT win for Jake – and all NDIS participants with complex needs
Advocates from VALID have shared the story of an important win at the Administrative Appeals Tribunal for Jake, a young man with complex support needs. Here’s what the AAT agreed to.
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Housing for people with disabilities: what needs to happen
Today our good friend Dr George Taleporos will give evidence to the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability at their hearings in Melbourne.
We asked Dr George what he planned to tell the Commission – and what he thinks needs to change when it comes to housing for people with disability.
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A quick catch up with Carleeta on International Day
Today is International Day of People with Disability. The purpose of the day is to promote understanding of the issues facing people with disability, and to push for change.
We don’t often hear from people who use different forms of communication on this day. So we thought this was a good chance to ask our Champion Carleeta what she has been up to lately.
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A quick catch up with Benjamin on International Day
Tomorrow is International Day of People with Disability. The purpose of the day is to promote understanding of the issues facing people with disability, and to push for change.
We don’t often hear from young people with disability on this day. So we thought this was a good chance to ask our Champion Benjamin what he has been up to lately, and what he would like to see change for young people in this country.
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It’s time to get young people out of nursing homes
Last week the Royal Commission on Aged Care released their interim report. The report was long and there was a lot to take in, so we asked our good friend George Taleporos at the Summer Foundation to cast his eye over it and tell us what we needed to know.
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“I know what red tape is”. Self advocates tell the PM a few home truths
A couple of weeks ago the Prime Minister Scott Morrison and the new Minister for the NDIS Stuart Robert held a meeting with a small group of people with disability and their families in western Sydney.
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Becoming visible: A chat with Ricky Buchanan
How is the NDIS working for people who can’t leave their homes?
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“We deserve to be heard”: An open letter about the NDIS by Melissa Norman
“My name is Melissa Norman, I am 23 years old and I’m writing this letter to highlight the problems people with disabilities experience on the NDIS.”
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Are we getting action – or just more talk?
At the end of last week the Federal Minister for Social Services Paul Fletcher announced a new government action plan to get young people out of aged care.
So what is in the plan, what does it have to do with the NDIS – and what will it mean for young people currently trapped in facilities around the country?
George Taleporos from the Summer Foundation explains it all for us.
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Autism and the NDIS – what is going on?
There has been a great deal of media coverage during the last week about NDIA plans to review the guidelines which govern access to the NDIS. In particular whether or not they plan to change the guidelines relating to people with autism.
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NDIS review system can no longer be ignored
The Commonwealth Ombudsman has released a report on the administration of NDIS reviews. Among other things, it noted that as of February 2018 there were 8,100 reviews on hand, and a further 620 new review requests each week.
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Disability advocates alarmed as the NDIA breaks its silence on disability housing
You may have missed it last week with all the fuss about the government’s decision to walk away from the increase to the Medicare Levy to fund the NDIS, but the National Disability Insurance Agency finally broke its silence on the future direction of disability housing in the NDIS.
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The AAT and why what they say is important
Many people don’t know where to turn when they have a problem with the NDIS. Sam Paior from The Growing Space explains what happens when an NDIS review goes the next step – to the AAT – and why we should all be paying close attention to why those AAT decisions are so important.
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25 years on – the Disability Discrimination Act
Disability Discrimination Commissioner Alastair McEwin talks about the Disability Discrimination Act (the DDA) today, on it’s 20th anniversary
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Don’t screen out our humanity
The idea of screening genetic conditions has become part and parcel of having children for many Australian couples. The recent push by the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute for
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Choice and Control Under Threat: Victoria must listen to people with disability and stay true to the principles of the NDIS
Choice and control is one of the fundamental principles of the National Disability Insurance Scheme. We must be vigilant to ensure that this important principle is not lost in the rollout.
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Exciting and challenging times…
Over the past 2 ½ years I have spoken with thousands of people with disability, their families and carers, advocates and support workers sharing information, knowledge and experience about all things NDIS. These discussions have highlighted issues, anxieties, problems and frustrations but also options, possibilities, developments and opportunities for the future. I have loved my role as Community Educator for the Every Australian Counts campaign; it is something I feel very proud and privileged to have been a part of and these are exciting and challenging times.
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