Dan Jervis-Bardy

Cutting funding to the NDIS would have serious implications for the wider Australian economy, with women the hardest hit, according to new research which casts fresh doubt over claims the scheme is unsustainable.

Peak body National Disability Services has published the analysis as it launches a new campaign urging candidates to reject cuts to the scheme ahead of the next federal election.

Luke Henriques-Gomes

Exclusive: Carers use of methods such as sedating or strapping a person down more than doubles in a year

National disability insurance scheme providers used unauthorised restraints on clients – such as sedating or strapping down a person, or depriving them of their personal belongings – more than one million times in 2020-21.

Matthew Doran

Families of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are worried their kids will be missing out on vital water safety skills, with the National Disability Insurance Scheme refusing to fund one-on-one swimming lessons.

Stephanie Dalzell

Half of Australian kids with mental illness aren't getting timely professional help and less than a third of parents used services to help their struggling child, according to official government figures.

The figures are startling, especially given half of all adults with mental illness begin experiencing symptoms at a young age.

A new government strategy aims to address that, to fix a system bogged down by lengthy wait lists, and high out-of-pocket costs.

The Victorian government says it has been forced to step in and fund targeted hubs after failing to get a response from the Commonwealth on low vaccination rates among people with a disability.

Key points:

• More than 71 per cent of Victorian NDIS participants aged 16 and over have received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine
• Victoria is launching 10 dedicated pop-up vaccination sites for people with disability
• From October 8, all of Victoria's state-run vaccination centres will allow people with disabilities to get vaccinated any time without a booking

The Minister for Disability, Ageing and Carers, Luke Donnellan, on Thursday announced $5 million to boost vaccination rates among people living with a disability.

Nick McAllister

When COVID-19 came uninvited to Australia, Prime Minister Scott Morrison and other state leaders stood behind their lecterns and delivered their messages to all Australians.

Content warning: This story includes descriptions of a struggle with mental health.

But it felt to me they weren't speaking to us all. 

Georgie Hewson

Daniel Stanley is a carer for his wife and two daughters but has spent most of his days for the past five years learning to navigate the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).