What is NDIS?
The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is Australia’s first national scheme for people with disabilities. It is a move away from the previous system of providing large amounts of funding to agencies and community organizations to providing funding directly to individuals. Approximately 4.3 million Australians have a disability. When fully implemented, the NDIS will provide funding for assistance and services to approximately 460,000 Australians under 65 years of age with permanent and severe disabilities. For many, this will be the first time they have had access to the disability assistance they need, and the NDIS can provide all people with a disability with information about, and links to, services in their community, such as doctors, sports clubs, support groups, libraries and schools, as well as information about the assistance provided by each state and territory government.
NDIS – what does it stand for?
N – National NDIS is being rolled out in all States and Territories.
D – Disability NDIS provides assistance to eligible persons with intellectual, physical, sensory, cognitive and psychosocial disabilities. Early intervention assistance can also be provided to eligible people with disabilities or children with developmental delays.
I – Insurance If people in Australia, their children or loved ones are born with or develop permanent and severe disabilities, the NDIS can give everyone the peace of mind that they will get the assistance they need.
The NDIS is not a welfare system. The NDIS is designed to help people get the assistance they need so that over time their skills and independence can improve.

What does NDIS do?
Funding for Eligible Individuals Based on Individual Needs NDIS provides reasonable and necessary funding for people with permanent and severe disabilities to obtain the assistance and services they need to live and enjoy their lives.
Each NDIS participant has an individual plan that outlines their goals and the funding they receive. ndis participants use their funding to purchase assistance and services that will help them achieve their goals. ndis participants are in control of the assistance they receive, when they receive it, and who provides the assistance. ndis is not able to provide assistance that would be the responsibility of another governmental system or community service. ndis is not able to provide assistance that is not related to the person’s disability. ndis is not able to provide assistance that is not related to the person’s disability; or funding for assistance for services that are not related to a person’s disability.
People who are not eligible for the NDIS can still get help accessing community and other government services. The NDIS can provide information about community and other government services and help all people with disabilities, their families, and caregivers to contact these agencies. For many people, this will be all the assistance they need.

Who is helping to implement the NDIS?
National Disability Insurance Administration
– The National Disability Insurance Administration (NDIA) is the independent government organization that runs the NDIS.
– NDIA decides whether someone is eligible to be an NDIS participant and, if so, how much funding they will receive.
Early Childhood Intervention Partners
– Early Childhood Early Intervention (ECEI) helps children ages 0-6 who have developmental delays or disabilities.
– ECEI partners hire ECEI coordinators to help children and their families access assistance and services that are tailored to the child’s needs.
– The ECEI coordinator will also help connect with other services such as community health services, playgroups, or other programs in the area.
Local Coordinating Partners
– Local Coordinating Partners hire Local Area Coordinators (LACs) to help people learn about and join the NDIS, and they also work with NDIS participants to develop and use their NDIS programs.
– For most people over the age of 7, the LAC will be their primary contact with the NDIS.
– The LAC connects people with disabilities to assistance, services, activities and other government services in their communities. the LAC also works in the community to help them be more accessible and inclusive for all people with disabilities. Visit www.ndis.gov.au or call 1800 800 110 to find your local ECEI or LAC partner.

Are you eligible to join NDIS
The NDIA decides who can join the NDIS based on the information people provide about their disability and how it affects their daily lives.To be eligible for the NDIS, you must:
– Have a permanent disability that substantially affects your ability to participate in daily activities, or a developmental delay
– be under 65 years of age when you first join the NDIS
– be an Australian citizen, hold a permanent visa or a protected special category visa, and
– live in an area of Australia where the NDIS is currently in place.
This is an outline of the process for joining the NDIS, and can be used as a reference for you.