What is NDIS?
The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is a Commonwealth Government initiative to fund the delivery of support services to people under the age of 65 living with permanent disability in Australia. The NDIS was established by the National Disability Insurance Scheme Act 2013, and began rollout in July 2016 and provides funding to support over 500,000 Australian’s as of December 2022.
NDIS users are called participants. A participant will have an NDIS plan built based on their support needs as reported by allied health professionals to ensure that the have the supports necessary to achieve their NDIS outlined goals. An NDIS plan can include funding for (but not limited to) assistance with daily living, social and community access, assistive technology and allied health.
The NDIS will connect participants to an LAC or Support Coordinator who can then assist with linking service providers who deliver the supports outlined in the plan. The plan is adaptive and can be renegotiated as support needs and lifestyles change. The participant has choice and control regarding the delivery of services to best suit their wants and needs. This may include choosing the support workers, therapeutic professionals, programs and assistive technologies required.
