Transcript:

Hi, my name is Cherry Baylosis. I’m the Chief of Policy Advocacy and Programs at the Disability Advocacy Network Australia otherwise known as DANA.

We wanted to share with you that this week we launched our submission to the Senate inquiry into the NDIS Bill No.3.

Like many of you in the disability community, we hold concerns. The bill is being rushed through Parliament in just four weeks.

And the changes? They’re not minor. They go to the very heart of how the NDIS works at the core. The bill introduces measures that could cap or reduce supports, as well as make plans harder to fix.

It can limit real review rights as well as push or limit access to the scheme. In practice, this means people can get told that they need support, but not enough to actually access it or receive it.

This has real world impacts.

It may impact on people’s housing, their ability to work, and it can place them at significant risk of isolation and increase the risk of harm. This also places other pressure on other systems outside of the NDIS, such as housing, health and education. When these supports fall away, the impact is real.

We’re not saying that the NDIS does not need to change. We’re calling for more time, for more scrutiny and improvements of the bill, as well as proper consultation and proper safeguards. Because the NDIS is not just a budget. It is the system that people rely on to live the dignity and safety. We’re doing all that we can to make sure that we get this right.

You can access our submission on our website at www.dana.org.au.

Thank you.