The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is Australia’s ground-breaking national disability support scheme – designed to support Australians with a disability, their families and carers. NDIS participants each receive an individualised support package which can be used to purchase goods and services – to support social and economic participation and help individuals with a disability meet their goals. For many people, the NDIS is the first time they receive the disability support they need.

There are around 4.3 million Australians who have a disability. The NDIS is being rolled out across the country to provide funding to Australians aged under 65 who have a permanent and significant disability to create the supports they need to live an ordinary life. This is the most significant social and economic reform in Australia since Medicare was introduced in the 1970s.

The NDIS allows people to buy services with their individualised funding that support their social and economic participation and help meet their goals. It streamlines access to services and makes significant savings through economies of scale and eliminating duplicated services. This means that, regardless of the nature of a person’s disability or where they live, they can equally access support.

The NDIS was initiated by the Australian Government and enshrined in bilateral agreements with state and territory governments.

AHA was engaged to assist with the NDIS trial phase and then entrusted with a wider role when the scheme was rolled out nationally. AHA has a team of experts solely engaged in facilitating smooth delivery of the NDIS. The team comprises experienced disability specialists, including psychologists, speech pathologists and other health professionals.

Further information about the NDIS is available at www.ndis.gov.au.