A decade on, the NDIS has had triumphs, challenges and controversies. Where to from here?

• Officially launched in July 2013, the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) reached full rollout in 2020.
• A decade later, Australians with disability, their families, advocates and support providers are waiting for the NDIS independent review and Disability Royal Commission findings, both due around October.

The goal posts

• It would be administered at the federal level with joint funding from state and territory governments.
• It would also aim to foster inclusion and community awareness and provide information and referrals to services outside the NDIS (such as health and education).
• Read more:
  Part-time work is valuable to people with disability – but full time is more likely to attract government support

Debates and controversies

• But in 2022, the NDIS Act 2013 was changed to embed the principle of co-design into the legislation and new funding followed.
• Read more:
  A disabled NDIA chair is a great first move in the NDIS reset.
• Now expected to cost A$50 billion by 2025, the NDIS will overtake the cost of Medicare or defence.
• In our research, incorporating the lived experience of NDIS participants, some people have said their lives have been transformed through the NDIS.
• Read more:
  What we know about the NDIS cuts, and what they'll mean for people with disability and their families

Untapped potential

• Boosting the NDIA workforce, as announced by NDIS Minister Bill Shorten, should help and also reduce mistakes and delays.
• And there needs to be capacity development for NDIS participants.
• Read more:
  The government says NDIS supports should be 'evidence-based' – but can they be?

A new decade

• It is clear NDIS reform will stay front-of-mind for some time yet.
• It is crucial people with disability remain central and involved in genuinely co-designing the second decade of the NDIS and beyond.