Disability services and the NDIS

If you are living with disability, there are government-funded services available to support you.

The National Disability Insurance Scheme (Opens in new tab) (NDIS) supports Australians who:

• are aged between 9 and 65 years of age
• have a life-long, permanent or significant disability

The NDIS is run by the Australian Government's National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) (Opens in new tab).

The NDIS is jointly funded and governed by the Australian Government and the states and territories.

To access support through the NDIS, you will need to:

• live in Australia
• be an Australian citizen or have a permanent visa
• be between 9 years and 65 years old
• have a disability caused by a permanent impairment
• need support now to manage your daily life activities

Permanent impairments can be intellectual, cognitive, neurological, sensory, physical or psychosocial.

You can read more about these requirements and check whether you are eligible (Opens in new tab) on the NDIS website (Opens in new tab).

The NDIS can help support your access to disability services and allied healthcare.

Some of the supports funded by the NDIS may include:

• daily life activities
• transport to take part in community, social, work and daily life activities
• workplace help
• help with household tasks
• home modifications
• mobility equipment
• respite

The support you can get will depend on your needs and whether it is listed as NDIS supports. In some cases you may be able to request support not on the list, known as substitute support.

You can read more about the types of supports (Opens in new tab) funded.

People who meet the NDIS requirements are called 'participants'. Every participant will get help to create an NDIS plan. Carers and family members can also help with the NDIS planning.

Every NDIS participant has an individual plan. This is developed based on many things, including:

• where you live
• who supports you now
• your goals

Your goals may be big or small. Goals might be:

• getting a job
• learning new skills
• meeting new people
• building friendships
• connecting with family

The NDIS may provide funding for supports that can help you overcome challenges and achieve your goals.

Once your NDIS plan is approved, the NDIS may arrange a meeting to put your plan into action. At the meeting you will talk about how to use your plan. It will happen within 4 weeks of your plan being approved.

You can decide to:

• control your own NDIS funds
• choose someone else to manage your plan

Read more about controlling your own funding (Opens in new tab). This gives you the chance to decide which supports you buy.

The NDIS is available across Australia. Visit the NDIS website for details about the NDIS in your state or territory (Opens in new tab). You can access the NDIS by visiting your nearest NDIS office or using the NDIS website (Opens in new tab).

If your NDIS request is denied, you can challenge the decision (also called an appeal). Your GP can help you with the challenge.

People who are not eligible for the NDIS can still get help to access community and other government services (Opens in new tab). These can include:

• mobility allowance (Opens in new tab) to help with travelling for study or work
• the Disability Employment Services (Opens in new tab) (DES) to help with finding work
• support for your carer through Carer Gateway (Opens in new tab)

You can find more information on supports through Disability Gateway (Opens in new tab).

Older people

If you're aged 65 years or older, disability support is given through My Aged Care (Opens in new tab).

Children younger than 9

The NDIS early childhood approach (Opens in new tab) supports children younger than 9 years and their families.

It helps you access the right support if your child is under 9 years of age with:

• developmental delay, or concerns about their development
• disability

The early childhood approach can help you:

• find out about supports that may help your child
• access the support you need
• increase your child's ability to do activities they need or want to do
• increase your child's inclusion and participation in settings such as childcare or recreational activities
• connect with support services like parent support groups

You can contact NDIS (Opens in new tab) on 1800 800 110 or use the live chat through their website. You can also search for offices and contacts in your area (Opens in new tab).

You can visit the National Disability Gateway (Opens in new tab) if you need help finding and getting disability services across Australia. You can call the Disability Gateway on 1800 643 787.

Carers Australia (Opens in new tab) has information on disability and the NDIS and has member organisations in each state and territory. You can call the Carer Gateway on 1800 422 737.

State and territory resources and support

• Australian Capital Territory — the ACT Government Community Services has information on disability services (Opens in new tab).
• New South Wales — find disability support services (Opens in new tab) for help with housing, transport, sport and recreation.
• Northern Territory — disability services and advocacy services (Opens in new tab) can be found through the NT government.
• Queensland — People with disability (Opens in new tab) living in Queensland can find information on support and the NDIS (Opens in new tab) through the Queensland Government.
• South Australia — the SA government has information on disability (Opens in new tab)
• Tasmania — the Tasmanian Government has Disability Services and programs (Opens in new tab).
• Victoria — NDIS and disability services and support in Victoria (Opens in new tab) has information for people with disability.
• Western Australia — the Government of Western Australia has disability support services (Opens in new tab) for people with a disability, their families and carers.

You can also call the healthdirect helpline on 1800 022 222 (known as NURSE-ON-CALL in Victoria). A registered nurse is available to speak with you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Languages other than English

If English is not your first language, you can call the Translating and Interpreting Service (Opens in new tab) on 131 450.

The NDIS has factsheets available in many community languages (Opens in new tab).

Information for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples

The National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation has resources and videos about First Nations NDIS experiences (Opens in new tab) with the NDIS.

Find an Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (ACCHO) or Affiliate (Opens in new tab) near you.