Autism rates in Australian children are among the highest in the world, leading a senior researcher to suggest the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) could be driving steeper than average growth in diagnoses. A paper by Australian National University scholar Maathu Ranjan, who is on study leave from her role as a senior actuary at … Continued
When a mixed martial arts accident five years ago left New South Wales south coast man Kyle Montgomery with an acquired disability, there was one part of his life he was determined to maintain. “I have always loved talking about sex and exploring sex,” he said. But the 35-year-old said discovering his new-found sexuality as … Continued
A pair of disability advocates with very different lived experiences are helping young people be more accepting, one school at a time. Scott Jones and Maree Jenner, who work with NDIS partnering organisation Social Futures, have been running disability inclusion programs at regional primary schools for more than two years.
DANA continues their analysis of the Final Report on the Disability Royal Commission (DRC), with their focus turning to the recommendations relating to restrictive practices.
We spoke to Khanh Tran, Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws student and a Disabilities and Carers Officer at the Student Representative Council, and Gemma Lucy Smart, PhD candidate and Disability Equity Officer at the Sydney University Postgraduate Representative Association, about what the Hidden Disability Sunflower means to them and how you can show … Continued
School is the highlight of Brittany’s* life, but the Queensland high school student, who has a disability, is rarely there. “It’s not a very nice feeling being suspended,” she said. Her sister Bell* said Brittany was suspended four times this year and put on reduced hours.
Last month single mother-of-two Stephanie Maass received a phone call out of the blue that left her shocked and worried for her young daughter’s future. The person on the other end of that call was a worker for the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) who said they wanted Ms Maass to prove her six-year-old daughter was “disabled … Continued
The reviewers of the $42 billion National Disability Insurance Scheme are expected to urge Bill Shorten to implement more rigorous and tailored assessments of participants’ needs to cut spending growth and to improve the “complicated, bureaucratic and unfair” program. But Bruce Bonyhady and Lisa Paul stress that any shake-up to how participants’ overall budgets are … Continued
The question of whether there should be an age limit to joining the National Disability Scheme (NDIS) has been debated since its inception a decade ago. It is being asked again as we wait for the NDIS Review to release its final report. The report is expected to explore eligibility, sustainability and how costs should … Continued
Annabel Pitt says she struggled to decide if she should disclose her disability when she applied for jobs. “People often perceive it as lying if you tell them later even if actually what you’ve been waiting for is safety and assurance that it won’t be held against you,” Ms Pitt said. She has started a job … Continued
Australians with terminal illnesses are being left in limbo as state governments and the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) battle over who should fund their disability supports.
People with disabilities are being forced to share homes or risk becoming homeless after a change to disability accommodation rules. Amy Tobin, a champion para-athlete, lives alone but worries she’ll be homeless within weeks after a backflip on her current housing arrangement.
A backlog of thousands of National Disability Insurance Scheme tribunal appeals was almost entirely artificial, not based on proper legislative interpretation and driven instead by “external pressures” to rein in costs of the scheme, according to independent reviewers chosen to work through the stricken cases.
A group of NDIS participants have rallied together to express their fear for an “unknown” 27,000 people the government plans to divert from the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), as a final review into the scheme is handed down this month.
It’s hard to overstate what a historic time it is for the disability community in Australia right now. The final report from the Royal Commission has just been published and the NDIS review will make its recommendations at the end of the month. Amongst all of this, members of the autistic community have been gathering … Continued