Understanding the NDIS
Reasonable and necessary supports
NDIS stands for the National Disability Insurance Scheme and is a new approach to service delivery and funding for people with a disability. The NDIS puts people with disability at the centre of the system for the first time – allowing them to determine their own future and receive funding that matches their needs and aspirations.
For more information about the NDIS, check out the links below
Anything which is related to your disability is a reasonable and necessary support under the NDIS. This can include not just the basics like mobility equipment and therapeutic support, but support with transport, doing daily tasks, home modification, education, social participation and more. If you’re not sure what is “necessary and reasonable”, ask your planner. The general rule is that it must be related to your disability, and it can’t replicate things that your family or community already assist you with.
About the NDIS Plan
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Creating the NDIS Plan
Your plan is a written plan agreement that outlines the fund allocations. Everyone's plan is unique to the individuals situation.
For more information about creating your plan, check out the NDIS website here.
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Using Your NDIS Plan
Once you have an approved plan, this is when you can start utilising your funding to support you.
There is different types of budgets.
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Review Your Plan and Goals
The Plan review is your chance to check your supports are working for you and that they are helping you progress and achieve your goals.
On the NDIS website, they offer the information in a variety of languages. Click here to see more.
Are you accessing the NDIS for yourself or your loved ones?
Is the overload of terms and wording that goes along with the NDIS getting a bit daunting or technical?​Researching and understanding the terminology will help you take full advantage of all the NDIS can provide you or your loved one. We have put together a list of some of the more commonly used terms and their explanations to help get you started.
Some of the keywords used commonly throughout the NDIS;
Permanent and significant disability: a permanent disability means that your disability is likely to be lifelong, and has a significant impact on your ability to complete daily activities.
Supports and Services: Assistance to help a person undertake daily life activities and enable them to participate in the community and reach their goals.
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Registered Provider: A disability support provider that has met the NDIS requirements for qualifications, approvals, experience, capacity and quality standards to provide a product or service.
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Early Intervention: providing support to a person; either a child or an adult. Early intervention has shown to reduce the impact of the disability or developmental delay and to build their skills and independence.
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Choice and control: A participant has the right to make their own decisions about what is important to them and to decide how they would like to receive their supports and who from.
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Funded Supports: Supports the NDIS pay for a participant’s plan. These supports must be reasonable and necessary.
Informal Supports: The supports participants get from the people around them, for example family, friends, neighbours.
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Local Area Coordinators (LAC): LACs are local organisations working in partnership with the NDIA, to help participants, their families and carers access the NDIS. LACs will help participants write and manage their plans and also connect participants to mainstream services and local and community-based supports.
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For a full list of explanations, visit the NDIS Glossary here. It also includes an Auslan video on the NDIS website.