Disability organisations are campaigning for independent assessments to be stopped amid fears they will leave NDIS participants worse off. Here, SBS News takes a look at the changes and why they're causing controversy.
Share on Twitter
Australia s new minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme has only just taken on the role, but she’s already been met with a passionate campaign to stop controversial reforms.
Disability organisations and advocates are urging Linda Reynolds to halt proposed changes to how people access the NDIS, after she recently took responsibility for the scheme in a ministerial reshuffle.
Critics fear the introduction of compulsory independent assessments will undermine the ability of NDIS participants to exercise choice and control over their lives.
READ MORE
It comes as documents obtained under freedom of information laws suggest the government made substantial changes to an independent review used as justification for introducing the assessments.
Share on Twitter
A parliamentary committee examining controversial independent assessment reforms under the NDIS has been warned about the potential impact of changes on Indigenous and culturally diverse communities.
The inquiry is looking into the proposed changes intended to overhaul the evaluation process for determining an individual s eligibility for support and funding under the disability support scheme.
Currently, people with disability are required to submit evidence from their own experts such as specialists for evaluation by the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA).
The reforms would instead see participants undergo an “independent assessment” from an allied health professional employed by contracted providers - paid for by the Australian government.