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 some people find it hard to connect with:

• the NDIA
• other supports.

This is because staff need more training to support participants:

• from different backgrounds

• who have experienced trauma.

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

• scared
• stressed
• worried.

Members also think staff need more training to support participants with psychosocial disability.

A psychosocial disability affects your mental health.

It can affect how you:

• think
• feel
• deal with other people.

Reference Group members shared issues about positive behaviour supports.

Positive behaviour supports are ways to support how a participant acts or behaves.

People worry that participants who have more behaviour supports don’t get as many other supports.

And behaviour supports might not always be safe for people from different backgrounds.

Members explained that some providers don’t work with participants to make their support plan.

Providers support people with disability by delivering a service.

Members also told us they want to know more about restrictive practices.

Restrictive practices are actions that stop people from:

• moving
• doing what they want.

Reference Group members told us people think the NDIA should do more to share information about psychosocial peer support programs.

Peer support is when people use their shared experiences to:

• feel connected
• help each other.

Members also think there are not enough psychosocial supports for people who don’t use the NDIS.

And often these supports and services cost too much money.

Members think funding programs could help fix this issue.

Funding is the money from the government to pay for supports and services.

This includes funding to pay for important work that can help the community.

For example, the Information Linkages and Capacity Building program.

Reference Group members shared that there is not enough housing for people with disability.

Some participants with intellectual disability shared issues they have with housing supports.

An intellectual disability affects how well you can:

• learn new things
• solve problems
• communicate
• do things on your own.

They shared that housing providers don’t always follow the rules.

Some participants in shared living told members they experience restrictive practices.

For example, some staff tell participants they will lose their funding if they don’t go to their group programs.

Members also shared that some providers rush people with disability into aged care homes if they are more than 40 years old.

Members shared that there aren’t enough community health supports in some states and territories.

For example:

• community programs
• art programs.

Members also shared that the community thinks the NDIA should hire more people with disability.

For example, people with intellectual disability.

There was a recent report about the experiences of 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.

The community are interested in what this report says about mental health.

Reference Group members shared some challenges with other supports and services.

Some people with disability don’t know how to contact the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission.

We call it the NDIS Commission.

The NDIS Commission makes sure people with disability who take part in the NDIS:

• are safe
• get good services.

Members explained this is because some people:

don’t have the technology they need to contact the NDIS Commission

don’t know that they can share their concerns.

Some people are also confused by:

• how to contact the NDIS Commission

how long you need to wait to hear back from them.

Members also shared that they want to know how well supports are working for people with disability when they:

• leave school
• and
• start work.

They want to make sure that supports help people find work that:

• they have the skills for
• meets their needs.

Members told us there should be new ways to support people with disability to find and keep work.