Commission claims provider’s litany of alleged failures left the safety of Merna Aprem – who had autism and epilepsy – at ‘real and significant risk’

Two and a half years after Merna Aprem was found drowned in the bath of her NDIS funded care home in Sydney, the industry watchdog has announced a historic lawsuit accusing the provider of a litany of failures.

The lawsuit is the first of its kind from the Quality and Safeguards Commission, which formed as part of the National Disability Insurance Scheme in July 2018.

Nick McAllister

For 10 years, I was unemployed because I was autistic.

Every time I was forced to tick the "I have a disability" box, it made me feel insignificant as a human being.

It became the focal point of who I was — and I knew when I would get that automated rejection email telling me I didn't get the job, it was because of my condition.

There are both misconceptions and fears about employing a disabled person, but also ignorance and prejudice. 

Adam Carey

When Zarisha Ghayur started school at age five, an assessment of her intellectual disability found that her IQ was so low that it could not be scored. Her language skills were ranked in the bottom 0.1 per cent among Australian children her age.

Luke Henriques-Gomes

Labor accuses Coalition of ‘stealth’ cuts to disability funding as other families complain about recent changes

A Perth mother fears she will have to quit her job to care for her autistic son after his national disability insurance scheme package was cut by about 70%, in the latest example of what the opposition is labelling “stealth” cuts to the program.

Australian autistic actor, Chloe Hayden lands lead role in the new Netflix remake of the Iconic 90’s series, Heartbreak High. I can confidentially say every Australian is EXCITED!

Netflix announced the news on Monday. The show also revealed the cast. A cast of Australian actors makes up the main group in the reboot of the iconic series. Production is now underway in Sydney for the Netflix reboot and due for global release in 2022.

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.