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 shared that there are issues with:

• home and living supports

• NDIS plans.

This includes issues with:

• not enough housing for participants

• providers not doing their work the way they should.

Providers support people with disability by delivering a service.

Members explained there are issues with how accessible some parts of the NDIS are.

When the NDIS is accessible, it is easy to:

• find and use services
• understand.

For example, the NDIS will ask someone close to a person with physical disability to sign forms for them.

They do this instead of letting participants sign with their own stamp or sign.

Members shared that some people find it very hard to join the NDIS.

This includes:

• people with disability that affects their mental health

and

• are at risk of not having somewhere to live.

The Minister for the NDIS shared that they plan to keep improving the NDIS for participants.

But some plan managers say that participants have lost more funding in their plan.

Reference Group members explained that sometimes information isn’t always the same from:

• local area coordinators – who help people find and use supports

• NDIA planners – who make new plans.

And that sometimes they blame plan managers for this information not being the same.

For example, information about how much supports cost.

Members shared that participants want the NDIA to tell them why they are doing a ‘check-in’.

For example, the NDIS will call some participants for a ‘check-in’.

And then change when a participant’s NDIS plan ends without them knowing.

Members explained that some participants find it hard to find good and safe support workers.

This means participants:

• are more at risk

• don’t have the support they need to live their day-to-day life.

Reference Group members explained that some providers give other providers a reward.

They will give providers a reward if they tell participants to use their services.

Members shared that people want more providers who focus on supports for LGBTIQA+ people with disability.

The letters LGBTIQA stand for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer or questioning and asexual.

The ‘+’ is for people who are part of the LGBTIQA+ community but don’t talk about themselves using a word from this list.

Members also shared that people want the NDIA to provide more safe supports for LGBTIQA+ participants.

This includes supports for LGBTIQA+ participants who have experienced trauma.

Trauma is something bad that happens to you that can make you feel:

• scared
• stressed
• worried.

Members explained that there is a need to look at how NDIS providers communicate with participants.

This includes making sure NDIS providers are supporting intersectionality.

You can be different in more than one way.

And people might treat you differently for each part of who you are.

We call this intersectionality.

The Australian Government is checking the NDIS to find out what:

• works well
• could be better.

They call it the NDIS Review.

Reference Group members shared that people want the NDIS Review to work more with the LGBTIQA+ community.

This includes making sure LGBTIQA+ participants can have their say as part of the review.

Members explained that it is important to work towards making life fairer for people with psychosocial disability.

A psychosocial disability affects your mental health.

It can affect how you:

• think
• feel
• deal with other people.

This includes work that supports people with psychosocial disability to speak up for themselves.

Members shared that groups who speak up for LGBTIQA+ people with disability are important for the community.

For example, Inclusive Rainbow Voices.