Page 2410 - Week 08 - Thursday, 5 August 2021
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the co-design of a new person-centred model that delivers consistency and equity in access, and planning outcomes that are consistent with the legislative requirements for assessments, as set out under the NDIS Act.
The scrapping of independent assessments was a massive win for people with disability and shows the power of their activism. I was proud to advocate for their asks at the disability reform ministers meeting and I am pleased that a more person-centred approach will now be taken. I was pleased that the disability ministers recognised that any changes to the scheme needed to be co-designed. However, this needs to be genuine community co-design and not the rushed, tokenistic consultation we have seen to date.
There are three keys to successful, genuine co-design. The first is trust. All those involved must be able to come to the process in good faith, ready to work with an open mind and heart. Anything worth having never comes easily; it takes courage. When it comes to the redesign of the NDIS, it will be imperative that people with disability can explore both the problems and solutions collaboratively. We have, until recently, seen little transparency from the commonwealth. This lack of transparency has contributed to the significant erosion of trust.
The second key to true co-design is that there must be agreement on the problem to be solved before participants can begin working through the possible solutions. Given the commonwealth’s lack of transparency and failure to fully share the financial details of the NDIS with their state and territory partners so far, it has not been possible for the ACT to agree with the commonwealth on the problem to be solved.
I am hopeful that the commonwealth will be more willing to share with us a level of financial detail that enables us to better understand the cost drivers in the scheme so far, as well as the underlying actuarial assumptions for cost projections into the future.
Finally, true co-design requires that people are involved as active participants, with meaningful input throughout the process. All participants in co-design are seen as experts and their input, their time, their knowledge and their other contributions are valued and have equal standing. True co-design requires radical compassion to respond at an emotional level to the experience of others in a completely inclusive way.
I remain committed to working in partnership with my ministerial counterparts through the disability reform ministers meeting, to ensure that people with disability are acknowledged, listened to and learned from, and ensuring that the commonwealth keeps to its commitment to co-design.
The outcomes from 9 July 2021 and the Independent Advisory Council paper should signal a commencement rather than a conclusion of the future work required. I look forward to a productive and collaborative discussion at the upcoming disability reform ministers meeting, scheduled for 13 August 2021, and working with the sector during the commonwealth’s future consultations.
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