News
Inclusion Australia, the nation's peak advocacy body for people with intellectual disabilities, has issued a stark warning to the government and the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) not to abandon vulnerable Australians as NDIS reforms continue to unfold.
Acting CEO Maeve Kennedy highlighted concerns that recent changes to the disability support system could undermine the individualised care that has transformed lives for thousands of people with intellectual disabilities.
Service-for-One Model Under Threat
Central to these concerns is the future of the "service-for-one" model, a tailored approach that allows families to directly employ support staff using NDIS funding. This model has been particularly effective for people with complex needs who require highly individualised care.
Access to individualised funding through the NDIS has been a game-changer for lots of people. When it works well, it means people have timely access to the supports and services they need.
Maeve Kennedy
However, people with intellectual disabilities have been significantly impacted by cuts to service-for-one programs, particularly those who have regulated restrictive practices included in their behaviour support plans.
Kennedy notes that these restrictive practices have historically denied people their dignity, with some individuals being told "they need to be locked up for their own safety."
The advocacy organisation has documented cases where families supporting adult children with complex needs in their own homes were previously pressured into group home arrangements, despite having adequate support systems in place.
Foundational Supports Rollout Concerns
The disability community has expressed mounting concern about the implementation of foundational supports, a key component of the NDIS reform package. Kennedy warned that the current rollout approach may not deliver on promises made during the NDIS review process.
We don't want a repeat of what happened with the rollout of the NDIS, where people were removed from existing systems and the support in those systems for individuals dried up. You need foundational supports before you can engage with people in the NDIS.
Maeve Kennedy
The organisation fears that without proper foundational supports in place, people with intellectual disabilities will lose access to essential services that help them learn and make independent decisions.
Advocacy Access Restrictions
New restrictions implemented as part of NDIS reforms are creating additional barriers for people with intellectual disabilities seeking advocacy support. Kennedy emphasised that advocacy remains crucial, particularly as the system undergoes complex changes.
"Advocacy is incredibly important in lots of ways for people with intellectual disabilities and their families," she points out. "Particularly in a time where the NDIS is changing and those changes can be complicated and confusing, having access to advocates can be really important."
Of particular concern is the removal of funding for people with intellectual disabilities to attend conferences and peer support events, which Kennedy described as essential advocacy opportunities rather than mere conferences.
"We find that's especially important for people who don't have family members who can provide that support," Kennedy noted, highlighting how these restrictions disproportionately affect those without strong family networks.
Academic and advocate Todd Winther reinforced these concerns, stating that while services have a responsibility to be accessible for everyone, "they often spectacularly fail." He emphasised that:
everyone has a right to and everyone needs these services
Todd Winther
As NDIS reforms continue, Inclusion Australia maintains that protecting individualised support models and advocacy access will be crucial to ensuring people with intellectual disabilities are not left behind in the transition to new systems.