An inquiry on the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) found that Indigenous people living in remote and regional areas are facing significant barriers to disability services, according to a report by the Australian Associated Press.
Testimonies heard by the disability royal commission revealed that NDIS performance is lacking in the Northern Territory community of Ngukurr, with mainstream models of delivery proving to be ineffective.
As revealed by the AAP, more than 80% of NDIS participants from Ngukurr were unaware of who their support coordinator was, while only three of 24 participants had knowledge of the NDIS.
Another testimony revealed that someone in the community had to wait two years for a wheelchair.
Scott McNaughton, delivery manager at the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA), acknowledged the gaps revealed by the inquiry but maintained that the process of acquiring wheelchairs has already been streamlined.
“There's a lot more work to be done,” said McNaughton. “Sometimes our policies and guidelines and practices seem to fit Sydney or Melbourne but may not fit Nhulunbuy or Galiwinku. We need to spend more time communicating and listening to communities.”
The NDIS support coordinators for Ngukurr all live in either Darwin or Katherine, according to the AAP, which are both 321 kilometres away.
McNaughton explained that it has been difficult to get NDIS planners to relocate to remote areas due to high rental prices in Broome. He also cited the agency’s two-year struggle with recruiting for the Fitzroy River region.
“Ideally we would like to have a much better national presence across multiple locations,” he told the AAP.
The disability royal commission had begun a five-day hearing on the NDIS last Monday. Previous sessions revealed similar gaps in NDIS service, with testimonies revealing that disability support was better under earlier models.
