Author: Emma Bloom

How to make a submission about the NDIS Bill Easy Read

This document was made by Inclusion Australia. Where we say ‘we’ it means Inclusion Australia.

We made this information to help people understand how to make a submission to the Government on the changes to the NDIS.

Making a submission helps you to:

  • Have your voice heard
  • Tell the Government how changes to the NDIS might affect you.

What to say in your submission

In your submission you might want to talk about:

  • Why your NDIS supports are important to you
  • What might happen if you cannot get NDIS supports anymore

For example your supports at work or in the community

You can share your own story if you want.

Sharing your story will help the Government understand how the NDIS helps people in real life.

Your submission does not have to be big or long.

You can say as much or as little as you like.

Inclusion Australia has made an Easy Read document on what we think about the NDIS Bill.

You can read this document on our website: How to make a submission about the NDIS Bill

How to make a submission

You can make a submission by:

  • Writing a letter or email
  • Making a video
  • Making a voice recording.

It is a good idea to get support from someone you trust when making your submission.

There are 2 ways to send your submission to the Government:

You can upload your submission to the Australian Parliament website

https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Community_Affairs/NDISFutureGenBill

You will need to make a My Parliament account before you can upload your submission.

It is a good idea to get support to do this.

Or you can email your submission to [email protected]

If you need help to upload your submission you can email [email protected] or call (02) 6277 3515.

You must send in your submission by Monday 1 June 2026.

You can download this Easy Read information here (or click below).

What we think about the NDIS Bill Easy Read

This document was made by Inclusion Australia.

Where we say ‘we’ it means Inclusion Australia.

This document says what we think about changes the Government wants to make to the law that decides how the NDIS works.

These changes are called the NDIS Bill.

Some of the changes in the Bill are:

  • Letting Disability Minister decide how much money is available for each type of NDIS support
  • Changing what functional capacity means for people trying to get onto the NDIS

Functional capacity means how well a person can do everyday things

  • Making sure all disability service providers are NDIS registered.

Politicians are looking at the NDIS Bill closely to decide if the changes are a good idea.

Nothing about the NDIS has changed yet.

Any changes to the NDIS will take time. 

We will keep making Easy Read information about the changes when we know more.

What we are doing next

Inclusion Australia is writing a submission to tell the Government what we think about the NDIS Bill and what we think should happen next

We want to make sure that any changes do not make things worse for people with an intellectual disability and their families.

We think that:

  • People with disability and their families need more time to have their say about the NDIS Bill
  • The Disability Minister should not decide how much money is available for each type of NDIS support
  • The NDIS must look at the whole person and not just one disability when deciding if they should get NDIS support
  • The Bill must not take away parts of the law that helps people with disability get the supports they need.

We have made an Easy Read document to help you make a submission to tell the Government what you think about the changes.

You can find the document on our website: How to make a submission about the NDIS Bill Easy Read – Inclusion Australia

You can download this Easy Read information here (or click below).

People with an intellectual disability talk about their experiences at work in new videos

Inclusion Australia made some videos with people with an intellectual disability who are working in Australian Disability Enterprises or ADEs.

ADEs are places where people with an intellectual disability get more support to work. 

People who work in ADEs usually get very low pay.

We think it is important that the Government hears from people with an intellectual disability who are working in ADEs.

Inclusion Australia Policy Officers interviewed 6 people with an intellectual disability for the videos.

They asked them

  • What they like about their job
  • What is hard about their job
  • What makes it hard to get a job in open employment.

We paid people to take part in the videos.

Some of the things people liked about their job were

  • Getting good support
  • Being in an inclusive workplace.

Some of the things people found hard about their job were

  • Getting very low wages
  • Not always having choices about the work they do.

Some of the things people found hard about getting a job in open employment were

  • Unfair treatment
  • Not being able to get equal opportunities
  • Not getting the right support.

You can watch the videos by clicking below.

You can download this Easy Read information here (or click below).

Getting NDIS reform right: inclusion, safeguards and support

The Disability Royal Commission showed us that people with intellectual disability are among the most likely to experience violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation, and for many the NDIS is key to enabling people to live inclusive lives free those things.

There must be a consistent commitment to transparency from the government, including the public release of draft legislation and clear opportunities for the disability community to understand and respond to proposed changes before decisions are finalised. Any changes must not occur in isolation – reform of the NDIS must progress alongside the Disability Royal Commission recommendations and NDIS Review recommendations.

The government must commit to continuity of supports and ensure that sustainable alternatives to NDIS supports are built first.

An overall plan for foundational supports must be created, to work alongside Australia’s Disability Strategy and set out the plan for a joined-up approach to the disability service ecosystem. This includes general foundational supports, as first recognised and suggested by the NDIS Review, which are essential for building the capacity of people with an intellectual disability to live a good life. 

This plan should also consider other separate programs like the ILC, the newly announced Inclusive Communities Fund, and the current Disability Peer Support and Connections (DPSC) Program. Together, all governments – at the federal, state and territory level – must commit to a unified approach, with clear pathways between programs.

We welcome the Minister’s commitment to genuine community inclusion for people with disability. For our community of people with an intellectual disability, social and community participation funding is an important part of this. We agree improvements are needed in this space, and we want to see people with an intellectual disability included and able to access public spaces and local communities, not further removed from them. We look forward to working closely with the government to ensure changes are measured and well-targeted.

We welcome recognition from Minister Butler that when we hear about fraud in the NDIS, we’re not talking about people with disability; we are not talking about families. Public discussion about reform must clearly distinguish between protecting the integrity of the system and unfairly placing blame on participants or those who support them.

Significant reform cannot be delivered without meaningful consultation, which must include people with an intellectual disability and their families. Changes of this scale must be developed in genuine partnership with people with disability from all communities, with their leadership at the centre of decision-making.

We support moves toward mandatory registration to ensure safeguards where people with disability may be at greater risk, particularly in closed settings and for those with higher risk supports. We have worked closely with the NDIS Provider and Worker Registration Taskforce and continue to work closely with the NDIS Quality & Safeguard Commission on these reforms.

There must be a clear plan for continuity of support while mandatory registration is introduced, especially for those with complex support needs.

Inclusion Australia stand ready to engage constructively in reforms that are transparent, accountable and are grounded in genuine consultation. Reform legitimacy depends on respecting people with disability as key partners that bring valuable lived expertise and experience to achieve transparent, fair, and rights‑consistent policy design.

Changes to the NDIS – Easy Read information

This information was made by Inclusion Australia.

Where we say ‘we’ it means Inclusion Australia.

It is about changes to the National Disability Insurance Scheme or NDIS.

We made this information to

  • Help people understand the changes
  • Share information in an accessible way.

This does not mean we agree with all the changes.

It means we believe people should have good and clear information.

We will keep sharing updates as new information comes out.

Hard words are in bold. 

We explain what they mean. 

It is a good idea to read this document with support.

If you have any questions about this document please email 

[email protected]

What we agree with

Mark Butler is the Australian Government Minister for the NDIS.  

On Wednesday 22 April he gave a big speech.  

In the speech he talked about changes to the NDIS. 

We agree with some parts of what needs to change.  

  • People with disability and their families must not be blamed for fraud 

Fraud means lying to get something you are not allowed to have like money or gifts. 

  • Keep choice and access to trusted supports 
  • Not leave anyone worse off.

We agree that people with disability and families must be included in decisions about changes to the NDIS. 

We will work hard to make sure people with an intellectual disability and families get a say in the changes.

What will happen next

Minister Butler talked about lots of changes in his speech.  

It will take some time for the community to understand what the changes mean for people with disability and families.

The government has made Easy Read information about the main changes.

You can read it by going to

www.health.gov.au/resources/publications/securing-the-ndis-for-future-generations?language=en

We understand the government will make changes to the law that controls how the NDIS works.  

The new law will be introduced to the Australian Parliament in the second week of May 2026.

The new law is called the Securing the NDIS for Future Generations Bill.  

We are asking the government to share the changes to the law with the disability community as soon as possible. 

What we want to see now

The government must be open and clear about how the changes will happen

We are asking the government to  

  • Share draft laws  
  • Give people with disability and families time to respond  
  • Listen to what the disability community says about the changes and act on what they say.

Changes to the NDIS must work with the recommendations from the 

  • Disability Royal Commission  
  • NDIS Review

People must keep the supports they need.

New supports must be ready before anyone is moved off the NDIS.

Inclusion Australia will keep working with people with an intellectual disability and families to make sure the changes do not leave anyone worse off. 

You can download this Easy Read information here (or click below).

You can read more in a big version here.

Important update from Inclusion Australia Chair: New CEO

Inclusion Australia has some big news to share.

We have a new CEO!

Our CEO Catherine McAlpine has decided to step down after 6.5 years in her role.

Maeve Kennedy will become our new CEO on 20th April.

Maeve has been with Inclusion Australia for 4 years and has been our Deputy CEO for 2 years.

Catherine will stay working with Inclusion Australia as our Executive Director of Sector and Development.

This means Catherine will still help us to

  • have good relationships with other organisations and government
  • support our project work.

We think this will help us continue to make big and important changes for people with an intellectual disability and their families.

This is important because there are a lot of changes happening in Australia right now that affect people with an intellectual disability.

We want to say a big thank you to Catherine for all her hard work over the years to help build Inclusion Australia into the strong organisation it is today.

We are all excited and looking forward to seeing Inclusion Australia continue to grow as the national voice for people with an intellectual disability and their families.

You can watch a video below of outgoing CEO Catherine and new CEO Maeve talking about the great changes at Inclusion Australia.

Read the big version of this announcement (or download below).

Why Inclusion at Work Matters

Inclusive employment means everyone gets a fair chance to find and keep a job. 

Inclusive employment means that everyone has the opportunity to work in regular workplaces, regardless of disability or background. It ensures everyone feels welcomed, is treated fairly, earns proper wages, and has access to supports to succeed.  

An inclusive workplace supports people to contribute their skills, feel valued and grow in their role. 

Inclusion Australia Policy Officer, Brooke Canham spoke with her colleague Liam Doyle about why inclusion at work matters.  

Liam said that for him, inclusion at work is a place where everyone is included and listened to. It is a place where everyone’s needs are considered and respected. Liam feels included when he can talk openly and other people’s needs are also considered and listen to. 

Liam shared that there are different kinds of environments at work that help him feel included, like having friendly people around and having clear instructions in his workplan. He values having access to inclusion support officers who are there to provide support during work, “having a mentor or someone to check in with regularly is really important, it makes me feel included.”  

Liam said that technical support, particularly with integrated AI (Artificial Intelligence) and project management programs help him to stay on top of his work.  

Liam reflected on some difficult experiences with his first job in retail, where he found the communication hard and sometimes insulting. “Direct communication and respect must be given to individuals living with a disability.” 

An inclusive workplace should make you feel welcomed. You should feel understood, your concerns should be accepted, acknowledged and respected. 

We made two Easy Read resources about Inclusive Employment: 

Find out more about employment pathways for people with an intellectual disability on our Everyone can Work website. 

Disability Representative Organisations call for clear and complete consultation on NDIS planning reforms

The Department of Health, Disability and Ageing is currently consulting on the New Framework Planning Rules and asking the public to provide submissions on the reform architecture while specifics of critical components remain unavailable or lacking detail. This prevents Disability Representative Organisations (DROs) and the broader disability community from providing fully informed feedback and undermines the integrity of the consultation process.

Key elements necessary to properly assess the proposed reforms have not yet been released or explained. These include:

  • Exposure drafts of relevant legislative instruments.
  • How the Support Needs Assessment has been validated, including accessibility and cultural and linguistic bias testing.
  • Sample reports and clarification of assumptions regarding informal supports.
  • Clear explanation of how assessed need will translate into funding outcomes, including whether automated or algorithmic decision-making will be used.
  • Details of review processes and appeal rights.
  • Confirmation that full merits review through the Administrative Review Tribunal will remain accessible and effective.
  • Safeguards to prevent inequity during transition.
  • Clarity regarding the staged rollout cohorts and timelines.

The Government has articulated principles of transparency, meaningful engagement, consultation and co-design. These principles, and Australia’s human rights obligations, must now be reflected in action through cross‑agency coordination, open communication, and collaborative decision making with representatives of the disability community.

New Framework Planning must only proceed to rollout once complete information about the reform architecture has been released, and thorough, genuine, and complete consultation has occurred. Proceeding in the absence of this, risks undermining confidence in the reform and its legitimacy, as well as potentially jeopardising the lives, safety and dignity of people with disability on the Scheme.

To ensure consultation is genuine, informed and consistent with the Government’s stated principles of transparency, meaningful engagement and co-design, Disability Representative Organisations call on the Government to: 

  • Confirm publicly which, if any, of the outstanding reform materials are still under development and commit to appropriate future consultation and direct engagement with DROs on these outstanding materials.
  • Provide clear timelines for the release of outstanding information, including clear communications around what, when and how the disability community and representative organisations will have the opportunity to influence design and decision making.
  • Release all outstanding reform materials, including exposure drafts of legislative instruments and operational policy documents.
  • Publish the methodology and validation evidence for the Support Needs Assessment, including accessibility testing, cultural and linguistic bias testing, and sample outputs.
  • Publish the outcomes of the various desktop reviews and evaluative processes used to design and test the process.
  • Provide clear modelling of howassessment outcomes translate into funding decisions, including transparency regarding any automated or algorithmic decision-making processes.
  • Clarify review and appeal mechanisms, including confirmation that accessible and effective merits review through the Administrative Review Tribunal will remain available.
  • Publish safeguards for transition, including how inequitable outcomes will be prevented and addressed.
  • Provide a clear and detailed rollout schedule, including cohorts, timelines, and risk mitigation strategies.
  • Work collaboratively with DROs on a staged and incremental consultation.

Disability Representative Organisations stand ready to engage constructively in reforms that are transparent, accountable and are grounded in genuine consultation. Reform legitimacy depends on respecting people with disability as key partners that bring valuable lived expertise and experience to achieve transparent, fair, and rights‑consistent policy design.

About our organisations

This statement was developed by DROs with coordination support from Disability Advocacy Network Australia (DANA) in their role as the National Coordination Function. DROs are funded by the Australian Government to represent people with disability.

The following organisations have contributed to and/or expressed their support for this joint position statement:

  • Australian Autism Alliance
  • Australian Federation of Disability Organisations
  • Children and Young People with Disability Australia
  • Community Mental Health Australia
  • Disability Advocacy Network Australia
  • Down Syndrome Australia Consortium
  • First Peoples Disability Network Australia
  • Inclusion Australia
  • National Ethnic Disability Alliance
  • People with Disability Australia
  • Physical Disability Australia
  • Women With Disabilities Australia

We acknowledge the significant contributions made by People with Disability Australia to this statement’s development.

The power of peer learning

Peer learning is when people learn with each other and from each other.

A peer is someone that is similar to you.

Peer learning is very important because it demonstrates how people with an intellectual disability can gain trust from their peers. This can also help people speak up for themselves.

Peer learning can help to make sure that people with an intellectual disability are able to share their personal experiences and share their opinions in a safe space.

Inclusion Australia Policy Officer, Brooke Canham spoke with her colleagues Rebecca Biddle and Liam Doyle about their own experiences with peer learning.

Rebecca said that learning from peers has helped her when she has difficulty with technology and when she needs help understanding something. If Rebecca has something on her mind, forgets a meeting or feels worried, she feels like peers are there to help guide her and support her.

“We can learn from each other, build connections and learn through each other’s experiences.” 

Since working at Inclusion Australia, Rebecca has attended multiple peer learning meetings where she has enjoyed sharing her experiences and listening to the experiences of her colleagues. Rebecca said, ‘peer learning has helped me be more confident, learn more skills, and helped me to listen more.’

Brooke also talked to Liam who shared his insights about what peer learning means to him. Liam said that he feels comfortable to share his own stories and that it is good to get to know each other without the stress of everyone else being around. In Liam’s words, ‘peer learning is a big yes from me!’

Beck and Liam reflected that peer learning offers a lot, ‘We all help each other in different ways. Peers help me, and I help them too!’

New report shows all Centrelink payment suspensions must stop now

Inclusion Australia joins other advocacy organisations in again calling on the Government to immediately stop all Centrelink payment penalties linked to compulsory activities. These are tasks you must do to get and keep a Centrelink payment. 

Today, the Ombudsman released its second report into how compulsory activities known as mutual obligations are being run. 

The findings show serious, ongoing problems across the system. It shows that many people are being penalised based on inaccurate information with poor oversight, and that a large number of decisions are later found to be wrong.

These failures have big impacts on many people with disability who have compulsory activities, including almost 13,000 people with an intellectual disability on JobSeeker. In just the first three months of this year, almost 30% of all Centrelink payment suspensions were issued to people who have told Centrelink about their disability. Every penalty can push someone into financial crisis, making it harder to buy food, pay bills and stay safe.

You can read the full statement from the Ombudsman’s first report here.

Organisations calling on the Government to stop all Centrelink payment suspensions and to remove the Targeted Compliance Framework include: 

  • Anglicare Australia 
  • Antipoverty Centre 
  • Anti-Poverty Network South Australia 
  • Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS) 
  • Disability Advocacy Network Australia 
  • Economic Justice Australia 
  • Inclusion Australia 
  • People with Disability Australia
  • Physical Disability Australia 
  • Single Mother Families Australia 
  • Sweltering Cities 
  • Women with Disabilities Australia 

We urge the Government to take immediate action to prevent further harm to people who depend on Centrelink payments to meet their basic needs.