NDIS review needs your feedback

What has your NDIS experience been like?

Hilary Pearl (pictured) of Montville feels like she is walking taller since her daughter Erin started receiving funding from the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).

"It has been overwhelmingly fantastic. I hadn’t realised what a load I was carrying," Hilary said. "My whole life for the past 29 years has been around Erin’s needs.

"One of the incredible things that happened when the funding came through was it was a validation of all the work I do.”

Getting to this point involved some research for Hilary. "I did a lot of preparation for NDIS over the past few years. All those planning meetings and all that advice and listening and so on. I really recommend doing the research.

“I went to two pre-planning meetings with different organisations and that just blew my mind. It made my thinking go from small to big – what was possible!

"I think going through disability systems for the past 29 years has been a case of having to sell how bad things are. NDIS has changed that to looking at goals, looking at the future, looking at possibilities for an ordinary life.

"When we got the funding I wanted everything happening straight away but it did take a few months to get it happening. It’s been great but it’s also been a lot of work.”

Hilary is looking forward to more freedom for herself now that Erin is being supported through NDIS to live more independently.

Locals who would like to find out more about NDIS or attend a workshop can contact the NDIS Local Area Coordination partner at Community Carers Queensland on 5409 3300 or SunshineCoastLAC@carersqld.com.au or visit www.ndis.gov.au.

Federal Member for Fisher Andrew Wallace is also encouraging individuals and organisations across the Coast to provide their input to a review of NDIS legislation.

Locals can make a written submission, register for one of the face-to-face workshops to be held around Australia, or complete the online survey.

If you need any assistance providing your views to the review you can contact Mr Wallace’s office.

A discussion paper, overview and accessible resources to help people participate in the consultation are available now on at www.engage.dss.gov.au.

The terms of reference of the review are available on the Department of Social Services website at www.dss.gov.au/node/60381.