People with disability, their families and workers in the sector on the Central Coast attended an event in Gosford recently as part of a National Day of Action to protest funding cuts to individual NDIS plans leaving thousands of people without critical support.
The #DefendOurNDIS National Day of Action followed new economic modelling showing the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) employed 180,000 people in NSW and contributed almost $17B to the NSW economy
Labor candidate for Robertson, Dr Gordon Reid, spoke on future plans for the NDIS.
Every Australian Counts spokesperson, Elly Desmarchellier, said there were many stories of NDIS participants who had seen their plans cut without proper explanation.
“We’re still seeing too many cases of people struggling to navigate a system that seems to focus on cost ahead of individualised supports,” she said.
“This election, we will be calling on all candidates to remember the purpose of the NDIS and commit to a scheme that treats people as human beings, not numbers.”
National Disability Services (NDS) management team CEO, Laurie Leigh said: “The NDIS must be seen as more than just a cost line in the budget – it is an investment in people and communities.”
Central Coast local and ParaMatilda, Tahlia Blanshard, who suffers from cerebral palsy and is currently in Spain representing Australia in the CP World Cup, added: “The NDIS makes such a big difference in the lives of disabled people. We shouldn’t have to go through the exhausting strain of having to continually justify why we need the most basic of supports to live our lives.”
Find out more about Defend our NDIS at everyaustraliancounts.com.au.
Terry Collins