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News 3 February 2020

A woman in a green dress points backwards as a man using a motorised wheelchair reverses onto the ramp lift at the back of a van.

NDIS moves on transport!

In some fantastic news this morning the Minister for the NDIS Stuart Robert announced NDIS participants will soon be able to pay for transport from their core NDIS funding.

News 20 January 2020

Red phone on yellow background. Text reads "Tune Review released”

Singing to the same old tune: NDIS Tune Review report released

Today the Federal Government released the findings of the Tune Review into the NDIS. First the good news – the recommendations are all things we have have been banging on about for ages. But the bad news – no government response yet.

News 20 January 2020

Screenshot of the front cover of the plain English summary of the Tune review.

Media release: Same old tune – now for some action: Disability group calls for action on NDIS review

Grassroots disability advocacy group Every Australian Counts is calling on the Federal Government to release their response to the recent review into the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).

News 6 January 2020

Red background with a white fire in the middle.

Emergency information for NDIS participants and families affected by bushfires

We’re bringing together all of the information we have as it comes out for people with disability and families affected by the bushfires.

Opinion 20 December 2019

A manilla folder with a polaroid photo of Jake smiling in a car, and a copy of his AAT case

A big AAT win for Jake – and all NDIS participants with complex needs

VALID

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.

News 19 December 2019

Making sense of low cost Assistive Technology

There’s been a bit of confusion about assistive technology lately.
So the NDIS have released some more information on their website to try and make things a bit clearer.

Opinion 5 December 2019

Very old halftone photo of the front of a grand old Victorian era building. The text on it reads Asylum for the Insane. Beechworth, Victoria.

Housing for people with disabilities: what needs to happen

Dr George Taleporos

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.

News 4 December 2019

Mockup of an example plan with a giant red "draft" stamp on it.

And the Committee’s verdict? Just get on with it!

With all the busyness of International Day of People with Disability yesterday it was easy to miss that the Joint Standing Committee on the NDIS released the first of their reports – this one is all about planning.

And from the very first page they have made it abundantly clear they share your frustration with the slow pace of change.

Opinion 3 December 2019

Carleeta touching a tactile map of York.

A quick catch up with Carleeta on International Day

Carleeta Manser

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.

Opinion 2 December 2019

Ben and his friends wearing their team Australia uniforms, Australian flags, and an inflatable kangaroo mascot. They are raising their arms in victory, and look happy and proud.

A quick catch up with Benjamin on International Day

Benjamin Paior-Smith

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.

News 21 November 2019

Photo from above of the 19-20 NDIS Support Catalogue print out. It's held together with a big bulldog clip, and has a yellow sticky note on it reading 'check!'. It's on a wooden outdoor tabletop.

The NDIS is reviewing prices – have your say

We hear a lot from people about NDIS prices – the good, the bad and the ugly.

Well now the NDIA want to hear from you too.

News 15 November 2019

Photo of Minister for the NDIS Stuart Robert MP, standing behind the National Press Club podium on a stage in the middle. In the foreground is a table with plates, glasses, cutlery and bread. There is a cameraman recording on the left, and a photographer on the right.

Man with a plan – Minister Stuart Robert announces big changes for the NDIS

For the past few months Minister for the NDIS Stuart Robert has been out and about telling everyone that he had come up with plan to fix ongoing issues with the NDIS. Well yesterday we got a first look at that plan during a speech to the National Press Club in Canberra.

News 14 November 2019

Red phone on yellow background. Text reads "Thank you! For having your say in the NDIS Tune Review

Thank you for leaving a message for the NDIS Tune Review

This is just a very small note to say a very big thank you to every single one of you who took the time to send us a message for the Tune Review. In just a few short weeks almost 700 people from all across the country sent us stories, messages and ideas for us to pass along to David Tune’s independent review of the NDIS Act and Rules. We read/listened/watched them all – and here’s what everyone said…

Opinion 5 November 2019

photo of the inside of a nursing home corridor at night. A photocopier is down the end, and some chairs are in the hall.

It’s time to get young people out of nursing homes

Dr George Taleporos

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.

News 4 November 2019

EAC’s 100 day plan for the new NDIA CEO

A warm welcome Mr Hoffman to your first day at the NDIA. We hope you have your computer all set up and someone has shown you where the coffee is. You are definitely going to need it – we suspect there may be some long days and nights ahead!

News 29 October 2019

A white home on a red background. "SDA" is written underneath in white.

A quick update on Specialist Disability Accommodation

Yesterday the Minister for the NDIS Stuart Robert announced some long awaited changes to Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA).

News 23 October 2019

Screenshot from a TV news interview showing NDIS Minister Stuart Robert speaking in front of a Parliament House background. The ticker tape below says "... to hire 800 new public..."

Planning for better planning?

With all the focus last week on the announcement of the new CEO for the National Disability Insurance Agency, you may have missed some other big changes that were announced.

News 17 October 2019

Photo of EAC Campaign Director Kirsten Deane, and EAC Champion Lynne Foreman out the front of Parliament House in Canberra. Kirsten is standing and Lynne is using a wheelchair. The are holding up a thick A4 book - the EAC messages for the Minister.

Get the Message?

When the government announced recently that the NDIS was underspent last year by a whopping $4.6 billion, a shockwave of anger and frustration ran through people with disability and their families.

News 10 October 2019

Photo at night taken from on top of a taxi. The yellow and black taxi sign is lit up. Street lights are blurry in the background, and everything else is dark.

COAG gets moving

At every single forum we hold around the country, every single time we ask for stories and feedback, we hear about one issue – transport.

News 9 October 2019

A still image from the movie Groundhog Day, showing Bill Murray in a car, holding the groundhog with a confused look on his face. the image is distorted and repeats almost infinitely to the right, getting smaller and smaller.

Yep it’s NDIS Groundhog Day … again

Endless delays, complicated processes, even more complicated language, miles of bureaucratic red tape, plan cuts and delayed reviews …

News 20 September 2019

A yellow question mark inside a speech bubble, over a green circle.

So what’s the real story behind the NDIS underspend?

Yesterday you will have seen that the final budget figures for 2018/19 were released. And they confirmed what we have all known for some time – that the NDIS is underspent by about $4.6 billion.

News 19 September 2019

Different types of Australian bank notes

Media release: NDIS underspend must be used to support people with disability

Disability advocates continue to demand the Morrison government reinvest unspent NDIS funds back into the landmark scheme to get it working the way it should – instead of using funds to bolster the budget bottom line.

News 22 August 2019

Tim Fischer smiling, with an Akubra in one hand and a book on trains in the other.

Vale Tim Fischer

The Every Australian Counts community was sad to hear the news today that former Deputy Prime Minister and former Leader of the National Party Tim Fischer has passed away.

News 21 August 2019

Photo of a woman's hand, holding a pen and writing. Out of focus paperwork is in the background.

Have your say on NDIS planning or SIL

Hundreds of Every Australian Counts supporters have already sent us their thoughts and ideas for us to pass on to the Joint Standing Committee inquiries into planning and Supported Independent Living (SIL).

All the big NDIS issues, without the jargon.