The National Disability Insurance Scheme: a time for real change in Australia

• Published in: Developmental medicine and child neurology Vol. 58; no. S2; pp. 66 - 70
• Main Authors: Reddihough, Dinah S, Meehan, Elaine, Stott, N. Susan, Delacy, Michael J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England 01-02-2016
• Subjects: Australia; Disabled Persons; Employment - economics; Health Services Needs and Demand - economics; Humans; Insurance, Disability; Quality of Life; Australia
• ISSN: 0012-1622; 1469-8749
• DOI: 10.1111/dmcn.13007

In Australia, the supports and services for persons with disabilities have long been underfunded and fragmented. Often, individuals did not receive the services they needed, but rather the services they were entitled to based on how or when they acquired their disability. As a result, there was an increasing reliance on ageing carers, a lack of permanent and respite accommodation, and reduced employment and educational opportunities. Individuals with disabilities and their families were often isolated and financially disadvantaged. In March 2013, legislation was passed in Australia to establish a National Disability Insurance Scheme, a radical new way of funding disability services. No longer would funding be directed to agencies, but rather to individuals who would make their own plan and select their preferred services and service providers, giving them more control over the services and supports they receive. The hope is that this change from a welfare‐driven to an insurance‐based model will improve equity of service delivery, levels of participation, and overall quality of life among Australians with disabilities and their families.
What this paper adds
Describes the establishment of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) in Australia.
Satisfaction with the NDIS has been very high.
This insurance‐based model gives individuals more control over the services and supports that they receive.
It provides a more equitable framework for the delivery of disability services.
The NDIS represents the most profound change in Australian disability history.