News
Many in the disability community have been sharing their thoughts online after NDIS Minister Jenny McAllister announced a new needs assessment tool this week.
The tool is called the Instrument for Classification and Assessment of Support Needs (I-CAN), which is being marketed by the Albanese Government as something which could make it easier for people with disability and their families to navigate the NDIS, according Minister McAllister’s office.
The NDIS Review released its final report back in July, with recommendations for a clearer planning process to assess disability support needs and build plan budgets. The needs assessment tool is said to be applied by NDIS agency assessors alongside questionnaires assessing participants personal and environmental circumstances, according to the press release.
The NDIS Minister McAllister believes the I-CAN assessment tool is vital to implementing the recommendations.
It can take a long time and cost a lot of money for people to source supporting evidence to have a planning meeting. There is a better way
Minister McAllister
However, not everyone in the disability community is onboard with the decision.
Various users took to Facebook to claim that many NDIS employees don’t understand disability, and question the qualifications of the people who will be in charge of using the tool.
They need to be degree holding health professionals… a glorified admin officer has no place in determining disability funding which can impact lives significantly.
“Absolutely floored system. Most qualified health professionals provide intricate and accurate details on these reports, providing the knowledge, insight and expertise pertaining to the disability accurately,” another claimed.
The University of Melbourne and the Centre for Disability Studies say they are working with the NDIA to use and modify the I-CAN tool to ensure it is fit-for-purpose.
University of Melbourne Professor of Mental Health System Reform, Jason Thompson, believes the collaboration could demonstrate how research can translate into practical, real-world solutions.
The University of Melbourne is proud to partner with the Centre for Disability Studies so we can both help the NDIA develop an assessment process that is grounded in evidence and lived experience and will uphold values of validity, fairness and transparency
Professor Jason Thompson
However, disability advocacy group Every Australian Counts, has started a parliamentary petition calling for the NDIS to allow participants to maintain control over their own professional reports and assessments submissions.
“The NDIA no longer has to consider the evidence you provide - like your own written account, and reports from your [occupational therapist], psychologist or GP. Instead, decisions will be based on internal assessments that might not reflect your real-world needs,” the group posted on social media.
Powerd Media reached out to NDIS Minister McAlister’s office for comment, where a spokesperson responded saying that the government will be taking the time to work with the disability community to “get this right.”
This process engages people with a disability directly. The new support needs assessment tool will allow people with a disability to have direct conversations with the NDIA about their needs. These are face to face interviews that can either be done remotely or in person.
NDIS Minister Spokesperson
The new needs assessment tool is set be introduced from the middle of 2026.