A narrative is taking hold in the media that the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is primarily a “burden” on the Australian taxpayer. While it is essential to address any abuse of a system designed to meet real human needs, the current discourse feels politically motivated to create societal negativity and outrage towards the NDIS – providers are an easy target, but so too are the people the scheme supports – so that the moves made to freeze, or reduce, funding are more readily supported by the voting public.  This narrative that the media generates ignores the lived reality of those the scheme supports and the service providers working so hard to provide that support. It undermines the real value of the NDIS.

To understand the value of the NDIS, we must remember the history of disability services in Australia – a history many families are still trying to move past.

The Reality of the “Old” System

In my 20 or more years working within the disability sector, I remember clearly what existed before the NDIS. It was a fragmented system where desperate families often had little access to early intervention or meaningful support. Choices were largely limited to institutional care or short-term, crisis-driven interventions.

In the Blue Mountains, many will remember institutions like The Hall for Children. The subsequent inquiries into such facilities exposed a system that effectively kept people with disabilities out of sight and out of mind.

The NDIS was not created on a whim; it was the result of decades of advocacy by families who refused to accept a future of isolation and exhaustion.

In my professional role managing a disability service provider, I see the practical impact of this Scheme every day. Our work isn’t just about budgets and line items — it’s about real people navigating life due to a variety of reasons through a minefield of challenges.

The NDIS was built as a form of social insurance for all Australians, ensuring that a diagnosis or accident doesn’t lead to a life of exclusion. And neither should it for those who are already living with a disability.

Disability is a universal risk; it can affect any family at any time.

Is the NDIS perfect? No. Like any large-scale government system, including Medicare or Aged Care, it faces challenges with fraud and efficiency. However, we generally seek to fix these systems rather than dismantle them.

My concern is that the current focus on “rorts” is slowly eroding public confidence in the Scheme’s very existence. When the conversation shifts from “how do we improve the system” to “this system is a burden,” we risk turning the community against the people the Scheme and the participants it was designed to support.

Recent news articles have fuelled a sense of community resentment, with some questioning whether society should be responsible for something as simple as a person going for a haircut. While that is an easy question to ask when you face no barriers to such tasks, for many, the support to access these basic services is what preserves their fundamental right to a life of dignity.

I would invite those commenting on the Scheme to look beyond the headlines. Spend time at a kitchen table with a family who is anxious about their child’s future. Talk to the frontline workers who support people with behavioural, economic or physical challenges to live safe, good lives. Visit service providers who are navigating thin margins to provide the high-quality care our participants deserve. There is so much more to tell.

The NDIS is best understood not just through a spreadsheet, but through the dignity and independence it provides to our fellow citizens.

Looking Ahead

I support all efforts to reduce fraud and improve the efficiency of the NDIS. We owe it to taxpayers to ensure every dollar is used effectively. However, we must try to do this without devaluing the work of service providers or resenting the support provided to Australians who simply want to lead a normal life.

It is important to remember that an NDIS plan is a necessity, not a preference. Most participants would gladly trade their funding for the ability to live and participate in society without the barriers they face every day.

At Able2, our goal is to support Australians who simply want to lead an ordinary life. I can attest that service providers like ours are working incredibly hard to deliver this, often under enormous systemic and financial pressure.

Before we lean into a narrative of ‘burden,’ let’s remember exactly where we came from and what was fought for. We cannot allow a growing manipulated narrative of negativity and the misrepresentation of the Scheme to overshadow the humanity of the people at the centre of the NDIS, or the inclusive society we all hope to create here in our lucky country.

Sue Campbell-Ross CEO, Able2