Important updates

Our co-design work

A group of people working together to plan on a big screen.

Leah talked about our co-design projects.

Co-design is when people work together to plan something new.

A person being supported by another person. Above them is a thought bubble with a decision icon.

She also talked about using co-design to make a policy about supported decision making.

A clipboard titled 'policy'.

A policy is a plan for how we should do things.

A policy is where rules come from.

A group of 3 people.

Council Members shared that the Support for Decision Making Steering Committee are supporting this work.

A committee is a group of people who meet to talk about ideas.

A worker supporting someone to use a computer, and a challenges icon.

This committee gave advice about the challenges participants face if they need more support when they make decisions.

A group of 3 people, and the number '7'.

There are 7 different committees.

Council Members shared that it’s important for them to:

  • work together
  • share information.

Easy Read document icon with a tick.

Council Members also shared that information about support for decision making should be:

  • easy to read
  • shared in different ways, such as Easy Read.

A woman with a computer talking to people around a table.

They also shared that the NDIA should find ways to help participants understand how:

  • to use the NDIS
  • the NDIS can support them.

2 guide documents.

And Council Members shared that the NDIA has written guides about different types of support.

For example, the NDIA has shared support guides about finding and keeping a job.

A woman reading from a folder, and a plan icon with a pen.

The NDIA should think of ways participants can learn about how plans are made.

And how to make and reach their goals.

Places far from large cities or towns

2 people outside a house on a lot of land, and a challenges icon.

Participants in places far from large cities or towns are still facing challenges.

A problem icon and a circle with a tick.

The NDIA has explained what they are doing to fix these problems.

A group of people working together with a whiteboard.

Council Members agreed to work often with the NDIA to fix these problems.

Council Members also think the NDIA should create plans to:

A person supporting a man in a wheelchair in a rural area.

  • help providers offer more services in places far from cities and towns

A man supporting someone, and a safety icon.

  • work safely with people from different communities.

3 First Nations people with disability, and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags.

This includes First Nations communities.

A diverse group of people.

And it includes people who:

  • come from different backgrounds
  • speak different languages.

A parent caring for their child, and an arrow leading to a thumbs up.

There also needs to be better support for family members who are paid to support a family member with disability.

A worker supporting someone, and a question mark icon and a hand in as top gesture icon.

Council Members shared that we need to focus on what stops these communities from getting the support they need.

Using research to make the NDIS work better

A calendar showing 2019-2022.

There is a part of the NDIA that does research.

They talked about the work they’ve done between 2019 and 2022.

A woman with one hand on her chest and her other hand in the air. There is a light bulb icon next to her.

Our Council Members shared ideas about their plan to work with the community.

Our Council Members shared that it’s important to:

A man visiting a community in another country.

  • work with people who do research in other countries

A diverse group of people, one with her hand raised, and a problem icon.

  • think about problems that people in Australia face

A woman showing another woman information on a computer.

  • hire people with disability to do research.