The NDIA’s Deputy CEOs met with the Reference Group members.

Deputy CEOs lead different parts of the NDIA.

The Deputy CEOs said that First Nations communities use NDIS services less than other people.

They talked about ideas from the Disability Royal Commission to make the NDIS better.

The Disability Royal Commission group looked into problems that people with disability experienced.

It helped the Australian Government find out:

• what went wrong
• what we need to improve.

19 of the Disability Royal Commission’s ideas were about the NDIS.

4 of these ideas could improve the NDIS a lot for First Nations people with disability.

Janine Mohamed is the NDIA’s Deputy CEO of First Nations Groups.

She is a Narrunga Kaurna woman.

Janine said that culturally safe supports and services are very important.

She said the NDIA wants to hire more First Nations NDIS planners.

An NDIS planner is someone who helps people create and update their NDIS plan.

An NDIS plan has information about:

• a participant and their goals
• what supports they need
• what the NDIS will pay for.

The NDIA is also working to create a First Nations call centre.