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.

Reference Group members explained that the community is worried about changes to NDIS supports.

Members said the changes are confusing for participants.

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

Participants are confused about:

• what has changed

• what supports they can use their NDIS funding for.

Funding is money from your NDIS plan that pays for the supports you need.

Your NDIS plan is a document that includes information about:

• you and your goals
• what supports you receive from the NDIS.

Reference Group members asked the NDIA to make it clear what participants:

• can use NDIS funding for
• can’t use NDIS funding for.

Reference Group members explained that it is hard to find support coordinators in some areas far away from cities and towns.

A support coordinator is someone who helps participants plan and use their supports.

Members also said this means participants need a lot of support from their families.

But their families don’t get paid for this support.

Reference Group members worry about changes for participants who self-manage their funding.

If you self-manage your funding, you:

• manage all or part of your funding
• choose what supports you use to reach your goals.

These changes might make more work for participants who self-manage their funding to make a claim after they use a service.

Members worry this will stop participants from wanting to self-manage their funding.

The NDIA said they are doing work to support participants who self-manage their funding.

Reference Group members worry about how the NDIA is checking if participants still need support from the NDIS.

Members shared that participants are worried because the NDIA asked them for written proof of their disability.

The NDIA said it wants to make sure they share easy to understand information with participants about this.

Reference Group members explained some issues with NDIS plans.

This includes how long it can take:

• the NDIA to approve NDIS plans

• people to understand and use the funding in their NDIS plans.

Members said that NDIS plans:

• can be too long to read without support

• should be in Easy Read.

The NDIA said they are working on providing their NDIS plans in Easy Read.

Reference Group members talked about issues for participants who live in older group homes.

Group homes are places where people with disability:

• live together
• get support.

The NDIS is not allowed to keep supporting some types of older group homes.

Members explained that it is taking a long time to find new housing for people who live in older group homes.

Members said there are other homes that could support people from older group homes who need less support.

Reference Group members talked about a job the NDIA wants to start soon.

The job is called a navigator.

Navigators could help people with disability to:

• learn about different supports
• connect with experts
• find and use the supports they need.

Members said navigators would need to:

• work the same way every time

• understand how to support each participant the right way

• understand the NDIS.