IAC Members connected with the community to find out about issues that affect them.

This includes issues that affect participants.

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

IAC Members shared reports about these issues with people from the NDIA.

People from the NDIA also shared their response to some of these issues.

IAC Members said they are happy with the NDIA’s work on Easy Read NDIS plans.

An NDIS plan has information about:

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

IAC Members talked about the NDIA’s work on supported decision making.

Supported decision making is when someone supports a participant to make decisions about their life.

They talked about how the NDIA will use supported decision making when it creates NDIS plans.

IAC Members talked about First Nations Connect.

First Nations Connect is a new phone line for First Nations participants and their nominees.

A nominee is someone a participant chooses to:

• make decisions for them
• do things they cannot do on their own.

IAC Members said the First Nations Reference Group is happy with the new phone line.

IAC Members talked about the new changes to laws about the NDIS.

This included how people ask for a plan reassessment.

A plan reassessment is when the NDIA checks if the supports in an NDIS plan still work well for a participant.

IAC Members also talked about changes to funding for support to:

• build skills
• take part in the community.

Funding is money from an NDIS plan that pays for the supports a participant needs.

IAC Members talked about how participants will work with the NDIA in the future.

The NDIA said they are always looking for ways to work with participants.

IAC Members met the new person who manages the way the NDIA communicates with:

• participants
• the community.

They talked to IAC Members about the way the NDIA plans to share information.

IAC Members talked about older parents and their children with disability.

IAC Members said parents are worried about getting too old to support their children.

IAC Members said it can also be hard for these participants to get funding for this support.

IAC Members said they are worried about supported independent living (SIL).

SIL is when people with disability live in their own home but get support to do daily tasks.

For example, cooking and cleaning.

Participants have told IAC Members they feel like they:

• have to use SIL
• do not get a choice.

Some participants are getting less funding in their NDIS plans.

IAC Members said the NDIA should follow more steps when this happens.

For example, the NDIA should make sure they check a lot of things before funding changes.

This is to make sure the change is needed.

The NDIA said they understand these worries.

The NDIA will keep checking these changes.

IAC Members asked the NDIA about how they will use artificial intelligence (AI).

AI is technology that can:

• solve problems
• help people make decisions.

The NDIA told IAC Members they do not plan to use AI to make decisions about the NDIS.