Media Release by The Hon Jane Prentice MP

ACT marks NDIS Milestone

Hon Jane Prentice, Assistant Minister for Social Services and Disability Services, was delighted to attend a special event today to mark a major milestone for the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) in the ACT – the 5000th participant to receive their NDIS plan.

Wahibe Omran is a 37-year old mother-of-two who was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis 11 years ago.

She had her plan approved today making her the 5000th NDIS participant in the ACT.

Wahibe heard about NDIS on the news, but wasn’t sure if she would be eligible. When she heard about the Scheme again through her local MS Society she decided to see if she was eligible.

“I hope the NDIS can help to improve my quality of life, and to help me get comfortable in getting out of the house more,” she said.

“I want to get out in the community, and the NDIS will give me the opportunity to do that.”

Mrs Prentice said the NDIS is a once-in-a-lifetime reform for people with disability in Australia, giving them choice and control over their lives and the disability support they receive.

“People with disability are living more independent lives, engaging with their community, enrolling in education, entering the workforce for the first time or returning to work, and receiving the services and equipment they need,” she said.

“The ACT is on track to be the first State or Territory in Australia to reach full scheme rollout by the end of this month.”

“More importantly, by June 2019, an additional 1800 local residents under 65 years of age and living with a permanent and significant disability will receive funded support – a 35 per cent increase on the number of people receiving support prior to the NDIS rollout.”

Mrs Prentice said the increased demand for disability support would also lead to a surge in job opportunities in the region.

“It is expected there will be up to 1000 new full time jobs created in ACT alone,” she said.

“The number of NDIS registered providers in the ACT has nearly doubled in just over two years since the launch commenced.”

Background:

Market Position Statement for ACT and Southern NSW (September 2016):
https://www.ndis.gov.au/market-position-statements.html

NDIS Quarterly Report for ACT (April – June 2016);

https://www.ndis.gov.au/about-us/information-publications-and-reports/quarterly-reports.html