Disability organisations rally against proposal to introduce independent assessments
By disability affairs reporter Nas Campanella and the Specialist Reporting Team s Celina Edmonds
Posted
WedWednesday 10
updated
ThuThursday 11
MarMarch 2021 at 4:20am
Melanie Tran says three hours is not enough to convey the impacts of her disability, as well as the support systems she has in place.
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More than 20 disability organisations have called on the federal government to abandon a plan which they say will force people to explain their support needs to a stranger in less than three hours, or risk losing their NDIS funding.
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“The real worry for us is that these results cannot be challenged or appealed easily,” he added.
“In fact, people will not be given a copy of the full assessment report unless they apply to see it and the hurdles that presents for a person with disability is unacceptable.”
The NDIS estimates most assessments will last about three hours and applicants would be matched to “a therapist or clinician that has the right skills, experience and training to complete the assessment”.
But Don Elgin, an ex-Paralympian who now works at Wallara Disability Support Services, said it would be difficult for some to articulate their needs “to a stranger in a three hour window”.