What’s the NDIS all about?

The greatest strength of the NDIS is that it puts choice and control over the support you receive in your hands. Through personal, individualised planning and co-ordination – connecting the information, access and support you and your family or carers need to how you hope to live your life – the NDIS will improve the lives of people with disability and their families.

An agency responsible for the NDIS, the NDIA, will allocate you a planner, who may be called a local area coordinator or something similar in some states, who will help you bring it all together. It is their job to assist you put in place the disability support arrangements you need to live a better life. They can help you think about what your current and future needs and goals are. Importantly, you can plan for your immediate and longer term needs and as your circumstances change over time they can help you to make the changes that suit you as an individual.

The NDIS will fund what it calls “reasonable and necessary supports”. This means they are supports that are related to a person’s disability are value for money and are not day-to-day living costs.

Different kinds of support at different times

Information

Sometimes it is as simple as needing a bit more information or checking now and then that your current services and supports fit with your life and goals.

Support

If you need new or different supports, or you want to try a different support provider, your NDIS planner or local area coordinator can help you get there.

Choice and Control

It’s your life, your plan, and your future. The NDIS exists to make sure you can choose and control the ways your plan works to support you to live the life you want.

Making your plan work for you

Your first NDIS plan will be called My First Plan, but it’s not a ‘one-off’ event. The NDIS has been established to help you throughout your life. As your needs change your plan will help you look ahead and plan for the changes everyone goes through.

Some specific examples of support and services:

  • Personal care
  • Work and study
  • Mobility and technological aids
  • Living skills like shopping or cooking
  • Connecting you with support groups and mentors
  • Support for family and carers
  • Therapy help like occupational therapy or physiotherapy
  • Community and sports activities
  • Accommodation services

There is more detailed information on the NDIA’s website to explain the supports available and what they consider “reasonable and necessary”.

You can also check out the NDIS Planning Workbook, which is a handy tool for helping you collect your thoughts and decide what supports you may need.