WWDACT Logo

Tag: NDIS

  • Submission to the Review of the NDIS Act and Participant Service Guarantee

    Submission to the Review of the NDIS Act and Participant Service Guarantee

    Women With Disabilities ACT outlined several of the experiences of women accessing the NDIS in our submission to the ACT Government’s Inquiry into the implementation, performance and governance of the National Disability Insurance Scheme in the ACT.

    Currently, women only make up approximately 37% of participants across the scheme, which may be indicative of broader gender inequality. This low allocation of NDIS Plans to women with disabilities also occurs in the ACT where full rollout was achieved in 2018, even though there are more women than men under the age of 65 in the ACT.

    There is an opportunity in this review to reduce some barriers that specifically affect women accessing the scheme and ensure that gender is more appropriately considered in planning and service delivery. The administrative and financial burden which many have reported when applying for the NDIS has an increased effect on women, due to poorer transition from education to employment, higher incidence of violence, increased poverty. It is therefore essential that the legislation and Rules recognise the unique needs of women*.

    You can read our full submission below.

    WWDACT-Submission-to-the-NDIS-Act-Review-FINALDownload submission
  • Submission to the Inquiry into the Implementation of the NDIS

    Submission to the Inquiry into the Implementation of the NDIS

    It remains difficult to assess the effect that the NDIS is having on the lives of women
    participants in the NDIS. The process of plan implementation has difficulties with the lack of availability of services because workforce development lags behind the increased need. There is not yet enough data to assess whether women’s participation in the workforce has increased because personal care, support and assistive equipment needs are being met. WWDACT did not receive feedback from women for whom the NDIS experience has been positive. The Plan Review pathway remains problematic and lacks transparency. Delays in approval of house modifications and long lead times for approval and then supply of assistive equipment mean
    women can be temporarily worse off.

    WWDACT does not have data on the support needs of women with disabilities who are not participants in the NDIS. The implementation of the National Disability Strategy needs have precedence for the ACT Government and to be harmonized with any focus on the implementation of the NDIS itself.

    You can read our full submission below.

    180330-WWDACT-Legislative-Assembly-NDIS-InquiryDownload submission
  • Report: ACT Women’s experiences with the NDIA

    Report: ACT Women’s experiences with the NDIA

    In July 2014, the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) [the Agency] opened its doors to the Canberra public charged with the responsibility of introducing the Australian Capital Territory trial of the ambitious and exciting new National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) [the Scheme]. The nationwide scheme, being implemented at a number of trial sites around the country was highly anticipated; promising a complete makeover of current disability services so that all eligible people
    living with a disability could be better off under the NDIS.

    As people eligible for the NDIS and service providers began registering with the Agency, and individuals began to transition to the Scheme there was obviously going to be rapid and major changes to both the sector and individual lives. At this time, WWDACT began hearing anecdotal stories from women and service providers about their experiences with the NDIA’s initial activity.

    On March 27th, 2015 an article appeared in the Canberra Times, “Bureaucratic ‘gobbledygook’ fuels National Disability Insurance Scheme”. The article briefly outlined many of the matters voiced at a public hearing before the Joint Parliamentary Committee on the NDIS. Most of the issues raised were directly related to the implementation of the NDIS by the NDIA rather than the scheme itself. This was a catalyst for WWDACT to begin an exploratory research study with women
    with a disability who had engaged with the NDIA and hear their experience first-hand.

    The information provided by the women will be used as a platform to guide further research in this area as the NDIS expands and matures. It will also be fed back to the NDIA to inform their practices and understanding of the lived experiences of women. “Over time, we will find new and better ways of providing support, by building on what works well and learning from the lived experience of people with disability”.

    You can read our full report below.

    ACT-Womens-experiences-with-the-NDIADownload report

    You can also access a short summary video.

    The transcript for the video can be downloaded below.

    ACT-Womens-experiences-with-the-NDIA-YouTube-clip-transcriptDownload
  • Submission on the NDIS Quality and Safeguarding Framework

    Submission on the NDIS Quality and Safeguarding Framework

    You can read our submission below.

    WWDACT-submission-on-the-NDIS-quality-and-safeguarding-frameworkDownload submission
  • Feedback on the National Disability Insurance Scheme Bill 2012

    Feedback on the National Disability Insurance Scheme Bill 2012

    Women with Disabilities ACT (WWDACT) is a systemic advocacy and peer support
    organisation for women and girls with disabilities in the ACT. WWDACT follows a
    human rights philosophy, based on the Convention on the Rights of Persons with
    Disabilities and the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against
    Women. In the ACT there are 31,542 women with a disability, who make up 56.4%
    of the total population with disabilities.

    We enthusiastically welcome the proposed introduction of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) and the
    Stage One NDIS launch site program that will commence in 2013 in the Australian
    Capital Territory as one of the five national launch sites.

    You can read our submission below.

    WWDACT-feedback-on-the-NDIS-billDownload submission
  • Submission on the Draft NDIS Eligibility and Reasonable and Necessary Support Criteria

    Submission on the Draft NDIS Eligibility and Reasonable and Necessary Support Criteria

    Women with Disabilities ACT (WWDACT) is grateful for the opportunity to provide feedback on the draft eligibility criteria and the draft reasonable and necessary supports criteria for clients under the NDIS. These draft criteria were adopted at the July meeting of the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) this year. WWDACT is cognisant that there are still NDIS operational details – such as the mode of funding the scheme – that are yet to be determined. Within this dynamic context, our feedback is grounded in the imperative the NDIS have a focus which is gendered. The circumstances of women and girls with disabilities are distinct from those of men and boys with disabilities and they must be afforded due and appropriate attention as the NDIS rolls out. Only with a gendered focus will the NDIS achieve its objectives.

    You can read our full submission below.

    WWDACT-submission-on-the-draft-NDIS-eligibility-criteriaDownload submission