Settlement Guide: what is the National Disability Insurance Scheme

The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) aims to provide the nearly half a million Australians who have a permanent and significant disability with the reasonable and necessary supports they need to enjoy an ordinary life.

National Insurance Disability Agency Source: National Insurance Disability Agency

Set up by the Labor government in 2012, the NDIS is being introduced progressively around Australia from July 2016. The task of implementing it falls to the Commonwealths National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA).

Who is eligible to enter the scheme?

To become an NDIS participant a person must: have a permanent disability that significantly affects their ability to take part in everyday activities; be aged less than 65; be an Australian citizen or hold a permanent visa or a Protected Special Category visa; and live in Australia where the NDIS is available.

Who is delivering the NDIS?

The NDIA is partnering with the Commonwealth, State and Territory governments and community organisations to deliver the NDIS in local areas.

The National Ethnic Disability Alliance (NEDA) is the national peak organisation representing the rights and interests of people living with disability, their families and carers, from culturally and linguistically diverse (CaLD) and non-English speaking backgrounds (NESB) and providing policy advice to government.

NEDAs CEO Dwayne Cranfield says more work needs to be done to make it accessible for people from non-English speaking backgrounds.