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It’s Your
NDIS
Andrew Gibson
by
The National Disability
Insurance Scheme
(NDIS) has been a
long time coming. For
decades Australians
with a disability,
their families and
carers have relied
on inadequate and
inflexible systems,
services and supports
that do not meet
their needs
For many years, the disability
community has been agitating
for change without large scale
success. Finally in 2011, the
environment was right to fight
for the desperately needed NDIS.
Every Australian Counts is an
alliance of National Disability
Services (NDS), Carers Australia
and the Australian Federation of
Disability Organisations (AFDO),
representing the disability
community with one voice. The
campaign began with the goal
of seeing the NDIS supported,
legislated and rolled out to all
eligible Australians.
Over five years with more than
160,000 supporters, Every
Australian Counts has lobbied,
campaigned and advocated for
the NDIS. They have enjoyed
great success with early political
and community support, NDIS
legislation was secured in 2013
and trials began in July that
same year.
Now that the NDIS is a reality,
Every Australian Counts informs
and educates the sector about
the NDIS while continuing to
lobby for change to make the
NDIS the best it can be.
This means people
with a disability,
their families and
carers, advocates,
service providers and
governments sharing
and learning together