In recent weeks, proposed changes to NDIS therapy funding have triggered a wave of public outcry. Participants, families, disability advocates and service providers have united in opposition to the cuts, which would significantly restrict the way therapy services are funded and accessed under the Scheme. The agency in charge of the NDIS released its annual pricing review earlier this month, revealing, among other changes, that from July 1 the travel subsidies for allied health professionals would be cut in half, and other changes explained here [1]. 

At the centre of the response is a fast-growing petition that, in just 10 days, has attracted over 50,000 signatures [2] and dozens of media responses – an extraordinary mobilisation. This groundswell of opposition is not just about therapy – it is about the very future of the NDIS. 

The national reaction to these changes tells us something important: Australia deeply values the NDIS. Despite mounting threats to the Scheme – including budget caps, eligibility questions, and a media narrative increasingly focused on fraud and rorting – there is a clear and consistent message from the community: the NDIS matters. People want it to be properly funded, effectively managed, and focused on the core principles that inspired it in the first place—tailored supports, participant choice and control, and equitable access to services for all Australians with significant disabilities. The collective voice rising in defence of the Scheme reflects a deep national belief that the NDIS, like Medicare, is a fundamental pillar of social support and inclusion in this country.

These protests come at a time of massive and unprecedented change for the NDIS. Major reforms are already in motion, including the finalisation of ‘NDIS support lists’ to determine which services will be covered [3], the shift to defined ‘funding periods’ in plans [4], and the pending implementation of new support needs assessments [5]. There is also a potential restructure focused on access to community based Support Coordinators, with  proposals to  replace them with government-employed Navigators. Each of these changes represents a shift in how people will access, manage, and justify their supports – and combined, they signal a transformation of the Scheme as we know it.

But these changes are not without risk. Taken individually, each reform raises complex questions about implementation and equity. Taken together, they form a wave of transformation that is snowballing with little clarity or transparency. Many of the proposed changes are being driven by cost-cutting rather than co-design, and advocates argue the cumulative impacts on participants have not been properly considered. Advocates are increasingly warning that the pace of reform is too fast, too top-down, and risks undermining participant safety, autonomy, and wellbeing. The call is to slow down, to listen, and to prioritise people over process [6].

The proposed therapy funding cuts may seem like just one element of a much larger picture, but they pose very significant threats to access to therapy supports for thousands of disabled Australians [7]. These cuts would severely restrict access to allied health professionals for many participants, particularly those in rural and remote areas and those who have difficulty leaving their homes due to complex disability. Allied health services are often a lifeline for people navigating physical, cognitive, psychosocial or communication challenges – and without appropriate, ongoing access to these supports, participants’ capacity-building, independence and social participation are put at risk. This issue, while symbolic of wider reform, is deeply significant in its own right and deserves urgent attention.

If anything, the public reaction to these therapy cuts confirms just how much Australians care – not only about the services themselves, but about the vision and values behind them. The community’s swift and passionate response screams loud and clear: Australians value the NDIS. We value choice. We value equity. We value a system that supports people with disability to live full and dignified lives. And we are prepared to fight for it. Because it is worth the fight.

Australia needs the NDIS – just as it needs Medicare. And as the Scheme enters its second decade, it must continue to evolve with the people it serves at the centre of every decision. If reforms threaten to undermine the founding principles of the NDIS, the community will respond – and the therapy cuts are proof of that. The message is clear: we want an NDIS that works, that lasts, and that honours the rights and aspirations of all Australians with disability.

1.       The 2025/26 Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits is here – Team DSC
2.       Petition · Stand Up for Disability Support: Stop the NDIS Cuts – Australia · Change.org
3.       Every Australian Counts Section 10 Rules Survey
4.       New NDIS Funding Periods have Started: What You Need to Know – Every Australian Counts
5.       New Support Needs Assessments for the NDIS – Every Australian Counts
6.       Media Release: Take the Time for Codesign: 255 Organisations Demand More Time to Codesign NDIS Reforms – Every Australian Counts
7.       Healthcare providers warn some regional services will be ‘unviable’ as NDIS cuts travel allowance in half – ABC News