People with Disability Australia (PWDA) welcomes the announcement of the Independent Review of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) today.
The Review’s broad Terms of Reference give the disability community the chance to raise issues that are important to us. We see the focus on participant experience and rebuilding trust as key to the immediate concerns of people with disability who access the scheme.
PWDA welcomes the fact that the Review’s approach will be guided by Australia’s obligations to ensure the human rights of people with disability. ‘We are looking forward to seeing the application of a rights-based lens to the NDIS, an increased focus on choice and control for people with disability and renewed efforts to make sure that people with disability are truly the authors of our own lives,’ said PWDA President, Samantha Connor.
PWDA are encouraged by the membership of the Independent Review Panel. ‘It is exciting to see a line-up of people who have a strong background in disability, including a thorough understanding of both the NDIS from its inception and the problems that have plagued the scheme,’ Ms Connor said.
PWDA also welcomes indications from the Panel and the Government that they are keen to ensure that the future NDIS is co-designed with people with disability. We look forward to opportunities to engage in a robust co-design process with clear ways for diverse and broad-reaching engagement.
‘The NDIS will work best if it works for all participants – this means the Review needs to be informed by a diverse range of people with disability – including those who are often unheard,’ said Carolyn Hodge, PWDA’s Deputy CEO.
PWDA is particularly pleased to see that the Secretariat for the Review will be based within Prime Minister and Cabinet. This signals the Review’s importance, and we are hopeful that this positioning will promote a whole of government approach to implementing the Review’s recommendations. ‘We need decision-makers at the highest level involved in realising a NDIS that provides optimal support for people with disability across Australia, said Ms Connor.
About us:
People with Disability Australia (PWDA) is a national peak disability rights and advocacy organisation made up of and led by people with disability.
Founded in 1981, PWDA represents the interests of people with all kinds of disability. We’re a not-for-profit community-based organisation and our members comprise a diverse range of individuals and organisations from across Australia.
Our vision is for a socially just, accessible and inclusive community, in which the human rights, belonging, contribution, potential and diversity of all people with disability are recognised, respected and celebrated with pride.
We work both nationally and internationally, and our work is grounded in a human rights framework that recognises the United Nations human rights conventions and related mechanisms as fundamental tools for advancing the rights of people with disability.
