The Reference Group connected with the community to find out about issues that affect them.

The Reference Group members shared these issues with the NDIA.

The Disability Royal Commission (DRC) looked into problems people with disability have experienced.

It helped the Australian Government find out:

• what went wrong
• what we need to improve.

Reference Group members talked about how the community feels about the Australian Government’s response to the DRC.

Members shared that the community worries about what the Australian Government will say following the NDIS Review.

The Australian Government checked the NDIS to find out what:

• worked well
• could be better.

They call it the NDIS Review.

Some people in the community worry that what the Australian Government has to say will have a bad effect on their supports.

Members also worry that the voices of people with disability are still not being heard.

Members shared that they worry about the experiences of participants when making NDIS plans.

Participants are people with disability who take part in the NDIS. 

For example, they worry that some participants wait a long time for decisions about their plan.

Members said that they’re glad the NDIA shares what work they will do to fix this.

Members also shared issues with how the NDIA check that the supports in a participant’s plan still work well for them.

Some participants also face issues:

• when a part of their life changes

• asking for assistive technology in their plan.

Assistive technology is equipment that you can use to do more things for yourself.

For example, a wheelchair or hearing aid.

Members explained it’s important that the NDIA keep working to improve home and living supports.

This includes making sure participants have choice and control to live somewhere that:

• is safe

• supports what they need.

Members shared that some participants have less funding in their plans.

Funding is the money from a participant’s plan that pays for the supports they need.

This often happens to participants who manage their plan on their own.

This means some participants might:

• not get the home and living supports they need

• have to wait in hospital for a decision about their home and living supports.