The National Disability Insurance Scheme, also known as the NDIS, is a scheme that provides government funding and support for Australians with disabilities. 

Some of the services funded by the NDIS include transport, workplace assistance, a variety of therapeutic supports, mobility equipment, home care and connections to local disability resources. The Easy Read Toolbox team can testify to the fact that NDIS funding can greatly improve the quality of life for those with disabilities that restrict daily functioning. Currently, the NDIS supports over 500,000 adults and 80,000 children with disabilities. (What is the NDIS?)

Although the NDIS has accessible information available about their services, the processes involved in applying for the government aid are still overwhelmingly difficult. This restricts many Austalian's who could benefit from NDIS support, from receiving their required services.

Sarah Lily, from Melbourne, is in dire need of the support from the NDIS to assist with her diagnoses such as ADHD, BPD, Dyslexia, and suspected Autism. She reports her conditions make it “extremely difficult to complete day to day tasks, let alone maintain a job.”

Sarah explains she has attempted multiple times to complete the forms required to receive NDIS funding, with each attempt resulting in an episode of sensory overload. She says that expecting a disabled person to fill out forms with small lettering, difficult to understand language, and multiple questions is like “asking a person without arms to throw a ball.”

The Easy Read Toolbox spoke with a mother from Melbourne, who found that because she has the ability to articulate her son’s needs, current capabilities, and future goals, she didn’t run into issues while applying for his NDIS funding. She admits the process could potentially be difficult for a person with disabilities without proper guidance.

Additionally, the strict criteria for NDIS is limiting successful applications. It appears to many that instead of NDIS being needs based, the eligibility for funding is based on diagnoses. It isn’t clear to Sarah, who feels as if she is clicking on an endless cycle of website links, if her conditions make her eligible for the level of support she requires. Sarah feels dismissed, as if despite her significant struggles, her conditions are not seen as ‘severe’ enough by the NDIS. 

The Easy Read Toolbox views accessibility as a broad concept consisting of all areas that create barriers. This includes sensory, communicative, systemic and physical accessibility. Accessibility should not only be considered in the conveyance of NDIS information, but extend to the processes involved in applying for funding. The ability to receive disability support should be accessible to everyone who requires it. NDIS processes should be designed with inclusivity in mind, for people with disabilities, by people with disabilities.

Author: Meg Sonsbeek for The Easy Read Toolbox