Department of Social Services
Easy English
Some words in this book are blue.
We write what the blue words mean.
You can get someone to help you
understand this book
find more information.
Contact information is at the end of this book.
This book is from the Department of Social Services.
We are part of the Australian public service.
This book is about the National Disability Insurance Scheme or NDIS.
The NDIS gives services and support to people with permanent disability.
Permanent disability means a disability that will not go away.
The NDIS also gives services and support to people who need early intervention
Early intervention means support for some people before their disability gets too bad.
This book is about a new law we want to make for the NDIS.
A law says
what is allowed
and
what is not allowed.
We have asked the Australian parliament to make the new law.
The parliament is a group of people that makes laws for Australians.
We have asked the parliament to make the new law this year.
The new law will let us make new rules about the NDIS.
We want to make two rules about NDIS supports.
NDIS supports are services you get from the NDIS.
For example, a support worker.
We will ask people with disability to help us make the new rules.
We want the new rules to
say what NDIS supports you can get
make it easy to understand what NDIS supports you can get
make sure the NDIS is fair for everyone.
We do not want the new rules to
take away disability supports
or
make people leave the NDIS.
The first rule will be temporary.
Temporary means it does not last forever.
The first rule will say what you
are allowed to spend your NDIS money on
and
are not allowed to spend your NDIS money on.
We have made 2 lists for the first rule.
We think the things in the lists are
what happens in the NDIS now
or
what the people who started the NDIS wanted to happen.
We want to know what you think about the lists.
We want to know if the lists would let you
be independent
have choice and control
take part in the community.
Your answers will help us decide what to put in the first rule.
You can find the lists on our website.
Website engage.dss.gov.au/ndis-support-lists
You can get somone to help you understand the lists.
We will wait to see what people with disability say about the first rule before we make it.
We want to make sure the first rule works well for people with disability.
Our new law cannot work without the first rule.
We need to make the first rule soon.
We will not make the first rule if the Australian Parliament does not make the new law.
We will take more time to make the second rule.
We want to see how well the first rule works before we make the second rule.
For example, we want to make sure the first rule is good for people with disability.
We need all the state and territory governments to agree with what we put in the second rule.
The second rule will last a long time.
We will not make the second rule if the Australian Parliament does not make the new law
Call 000 if you or someone you know needs help now.
Call Lifeline Australia for crisis support and suicide prevention.
Call 13 11 14
Call Beyond Blue for mental health support.
Call 1300 224 636
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders can call 13YARN for mental health support.
Call 13 92 76
For more information contact the Department of Social Services.
Email enquiries@dss.gov.au
Call 1300 653 227
Read the lists of what we think NDIS money
should be spent on
and
should not be spent on.
Website engage.dss.gov.au/ndis-support-lists
You can tell us what you think about our lists.
Website engage.dss.gov.au/ndis-support-survey
Use the free Translating and Interpreting Service or TIS to make a phone call.
You can call the TIS in your language.
Call 131 450
Give the TIS officer the phone number you want to call.
Use the National Relay Service to make a phone call.
You must sign up to the service first.
Website accesshub.gov.au/nrs-helpdesk
Call 1800 555 660
This Easy English document was created by Scope (Aust) Ltd. in July 2024 using Picture Communication Symbols (PCS). PCS is a trademark of Tobii Dynavox, LLC. All rights reserved. Used with permission. This document must not be sold to third parties. The images must not be reused without permission. For more information about the images, contact Scope on 1300 472 673 or visit scopeaust.org.au