NDIS 101: What is the NDIS?
Independence Australia is a registered NDIS service provider and provider of Inform Online and provides a range of options for beginning your NDIS journey, accessing supports such as NDIS consumables, viewing NDIS guides, resources and tools such as the popular NDIS planning booklet.
Navigating the NDIS can be daunting. From checking your eligibility to understanding the types of supports available to implementing your plan, there is a lot of ground to cover. The Inform Online NDIS 101 series will take some of the confusion out of the process by providing straightforward information and resources.
What is the NDIS?
The National Disability Insurance Scheme, or the NDIS, provides support for people with disabilities, their families and carers. The goal of the NDIS is to provide a ‘unified national scheme to fund long-term, high-quality care and support for all Australians who experience significant disability’.
Administered by the National Disability Insurance Agency, or the NDIA, the NDIS is funded by national, state and territory governments. However, the scheme is not means tested but demand driven. This is similar to other government programs including Medicare.
Where the NDIS differs from previous government support of people with disabilities is in the individualised nature of the scheme. The NDIS provides eligible participants with tailored support plans. These plans provide funding for supports and services that help participants identify and reach their goals. Whether those goals are further education, securing a job, joining a social group or simply accessing support for everyday tasks. In addition, the NDIS empowers participants to exercise choice and control in pursuit of their goals.
Approximately 1 in 5 Australians, or more than 4 million people, have some form of disability. It’s estimated that the NDIS will provide funding for supports and services to nearly half a million Australian aged under 65 with a permanent and significant disability by 2019.
What are the NDIS objectives?
The objectives of the NDIS are outlined in the National Disability Insurance Scheme Act 2013. These objectives inform the scheme, how it operates and what its goals are.
- support the independence and social and economic participation of people with disability
- provide reasonable and necessary supports, including early intervention supports, for participants in the National Disability Insurance Scheme launch
- enable people with disability to exercise choice and control in the pursuit of their goals and the planning and delivery of their supports
- facilitate the development of a nationally consistent approach to the access to, and the planning and funding of, supports for people with disability
- promote the provision of high quality and innovative supports that enable people with disability to maximise independent lifestyles and full inclusion in the mainstream community
- raise community awareness of the issues that affect the social and economic participation of people with disability, and facilitate greater community inclusion of people with disability