Like many people with disabilities and organisations, WWDACT has been alarmed at the proposed draft list of supports released prior to the passing of the National Disability Insurance Scheme
Amendment (Getting the NDIS Back on Track No. 1) Bill 2024.
The draft list of supports represents a huge change to how the NDIS operates. It attempts to remove many reasonable and necessary supports from the NDIS. It puts lots of supports into an exclusion category meaning that people with disabilities can’t access them with NDIS funding.
This draft list changes how the NDIS operates and goes against the objectives of the NDIS. Now, people on the NDIS can only access supports that are on the list, and they will lose access to some reasonable and necessary supports. This goes against the recommendations of the NDIS review and disempowers people with disabilities.
One of the items in the ‘exclusion category’ is menstrual products. Some people with disabilities need specific products to manage menstruation (such as period underwear) or use menstrual products to assist with their disability (daily use for incontinence). The draft list says that people with disabilities can’t access menstrual products using the NDIS anymore.
WWDACT has endorsed a submission by Women with Disabilities Australia and the Australian Women’s Health Alliance, expressing concern about menstrual products being excluded from NDIS support lists. You can read the submission below.
If you want to learn more about the draft NDIS support lists, here is some information:
Department of Social Services Consultation (now closed)
Submission by Advocacy for Inclusion
Statement by Women with Disabilities Australia