It has been a good week for Australians within the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).
NDIS Minister Linda Reynolds has announced that she is scrapping independent assessments after the states and territories refused to agree to the proposal.
This is a relief to NDIS participants, and a win for our advocacy.
The plan, when first announced in August 2020, was to require Australians with a disability to undergo an assessment with a generic, government-contracted, allied health professional outside the person’s regular circle of care and typically professionally unmatched to the individual’s disability.
We were deeply concerned about this proposal from the outset.
The APS could see that these assessments would have made it harder for people to access the NDIS, possibly leaving them worse off, and could have undermined their control over the support they receive. We were also concerned that the rationale for this change and its intended outcomes was not clear.
When an inquiry was announced earlier this year, we clearly argued our case in a submission to the inquiry in April. So too did many other peak bodies and disability activists.
And the outcome speaks for itself.
This is a heartening result, and it shows what health experts and Australians can achieve when they come together to support and protect our most vulnerable populations.
The APS will continue to monitor whether any future changes are proposed by the NDIA to the scheme.