DiverseAbility Services

Western Queensland DiverseAbility

Western Queensland DiverseAbility is intended to enhance the capacity of the primary care sector by highlighting those enabling factors that support clients with physical, intellectual and psychosocial disabilities to appropriate services and support the wider community in accessing services.

National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS)

The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) provides support to Australians with physical, mental, and psychosocial disabilities, as well as to their families and carers. Serving as a nationwide initiative, the NDIS aims to ensure that individuals with disabilities have access to the necessary assistance to effectively manage their daily lives and to actively engage in social and economic activities within their communities.

The National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) is an independent statutory agency established to implement the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).

Eligibility

Who can access NDIS?

To become a NDIS participant, a person must:

• have an impairment or condition that is likely to be permanent (i.e. it is likely to be lifelong);

• be aged less than 65 when they first apply to enter the NDIS;

• must live in Australia; and

• be an Australian citizen or hold a permanent visa or Protected Special Category visa.

People can also access the NDIS for early intervention, and a specific Early Childhood Early Intervention approach has been developed for children aged 0 to 9 years.

More information is available from NDIS on their website or call 1800 800 110.

Access

How can my GP assist me to access the NDIS?

GPs have an important role in the healthcare and lives of people with disability and their families/carers and their professional relationship and partnership with patients. In relation to NDIS, GPs assist with completing specific sections of the documents required by NDIA to complete the access process.

Your GP has a role in helping you understand the NDIS and providing information to the NDIA about your disability. GPs and allied health professionals are authorised to complete the sections of the documents required by the NDIA to prove your eligibility for the NDIS and the impact your disability has on your day-to-day life. Educators can also provide information about the impact that a disability has on a child’s day-to-day life.