NDIS review - have your say

Thanks. I will have my $0.02 

To be blunt, my mental health is so much improved since I stopped trying to access the NDIS. My needs were well documented. I had support from my medical team who spent precious time writing letters of support, yet the very existence of my disability was queried by assessors without medical qualifications.  Completely disrespectful.

Thanks garryjr, that is good you will have your say and I am pleased to hear this. It is really important that we hear from people such as yourself.   Your experience and how it impacted on you is what the government is looking for.  It would be good to hear how you think the process could have been better managed for your situation.

How are you managing without the support of the NDIS? 

Did you appeal the decision made by the NDIA? I know this can be a difficult and challenging process, but there are ways and means of getting support to appeal your decision.  We can provide you with information on advocacy services that support people like yourself who have been unable to access the NDIS.  We would be more than happy to talk with you in more detail about these supports if you would like to give us a call or drop us an email.

You can give our StrokeLine allied health professionals a call on Ph. 1800 787 653 or email us on strokeline@strokefoundation.org.au and we are available Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm AEDT.  We would be more than happy to talk with you about what you have been through, and provide you with some support and information on options that may help.

Do reach out and give us a call or email.

Kind regards

Siobhan (StrokeLine)

I answered the survey and guess the will end up doing nothing , same as the aged care, nothing and the disabled review , nothing . More like a waste of time in the end , they will do nothing .

I answered the survey and guess the will end up doing nothing , same as the aged care, nothing and the disabled review , nothing . More like a waste of time in the end , they will do nothing .

I answered the survey and guess the will end up doing nothing , same as the aged care, nothing and the disabled review , nothing . More like a waste of time in the end , they will do nothing .

Thanks Siobhan, I did a submission. And it was therapeutic. I have a bout of covid and am currently feeling quite grumpy so I used the grumpy energy to get me through. Happy to share what I wrote - if it is of interest.

I did forget to add to my submission that the advice everyone gets about writing how it is "on your worst day can be damaging" -- if you are forced to dwell upon such things for a very long time.

I'm coping OK. The effort of putting an application together several times was and remains an enormous drain. And for me achieves the exact opposite of what I need. I like other stroke people have limited mental resources. Since I stopped, a weight has been lifted.

My advocate did say there were VERY good grounds for appeal. But reality is that I just don't have it in me to spend more precious time and mental energy on these games. The cost has already been significant.

Jaded. Perhaps. Sad yes. Aware that it is setup so that those who have the money and resources prevail - yes. In the end, I found the whole process destructive and profoundly inequitable.

Hi garryjr, apologies for the delay in my reply. Sorry to hear about your bout of Covid, can only imagine how you felt. Covid alone is enough, let alone on top of your NDIS issues.  We are more than happy to hear your thoughts on the NDIS, you would be welcome to drop us an email, and then we can respond to that directly.

We often speak to those accessing the NDIS and have the exact discussion about writing about how you are on your worst day, or having your therapists writing about how you are on your worst day, and how this goes against everything that you have achieved in your hard work and rehab. 

It is good to hear you have an advocate and do consider whether you would be happy to appeal the decision by the NDIS. We do hear of some good outcomes through appealing the decision, or even starting the access request again. We are always here to talk you though other options that might help if you feel differently in the new year.  I am sorry to hear how you have found the whole NDIS process. 

Have you ever reached out to a Local Area Coordinator, or to a service that can help you with the access request and pulling together. I can reach out and give you some services that can help with this. That way if you feel strong enough to start the process again in the new year, you won't have to do it alone. It certainly sounds like it has been a really challenging time with everything you have been through.  The truth and honesty about your experience of the NDIS is exactly what the independent review is looking for.  Thank you for taking the time and the effort to put this into writing.  There will be others in a similar position who will find you sharing your experinece helpful.  

Do reach out to StrokeLine at any stage by giving us a call on Ph 1800 787 653 or emailing us on strokeline@strokefoundation.org.au. We are always happy to talk.

Kind regards

Siobhan