An opinion piece by Jess Cochran
The pilot for independent assessments began in November 2018. Many of us didn’t hear about it until early last year amid the beginnings of COVID-19. In a community that was already on edge financially and emotionally, it began to take a toll. People with disabilities, their carers, families and support systems were quick to voice their concerns about the impact these changes would have on them.
I remember people with disabilities having welfare checks as they became increasingly concerned about how this could affect their NDIS funding and how stressful the process would be.
I can understand some of the theories behind creating independent assessments, such as improving equity as some people may not be able to afford appropriate assessments done by health professionals to access the NDIS or have their NDIS funding reviewed. However, I believe we need choice and control in whether we opt for independent assessments or whether we pay for and use our own medical, allied health, and support team members to have these done.
Many of us have team members who’ve known us for years, are well versed in our conditions and how they affect us, individually. They acknowledge that we are unique and they understand that two people with the exact same condition can present and be affected in very different ways.
My team was instrumental in providing supporting documents that allowed me to access the NDIS, and adequate funding as a participant. My long-standing relationship with them meant they invested time into researching the rare conditions I'm affected by, to increase their understanding. As a result, they understand how things affect my body and how to best support me, while promoting my independence and access to the community.
This is not something that I feel an independent assessor could get a clear picture of in a three-hour session. Even weeks or months wouldn’t be enough time to grasp the extent of how I’m affected by my disabilities and how that then affects my ability to work, access the community, socialise, and do all the things that are extremely important to me and my wellbeing.
I have been one of those “lucky” NDIS participants who has experienced just how life-changing the scheme can be when it works. It can have its high-stress moments but for the most part I’ve been able to see just how much of a positive effect can come from an adequate plan and funding. There’s a lot that needs to be done to fix the NDIS and give others this opportunity - the opportunity that they deserve - but I do not believe independent assessments are the right way to go.
If the NDIA involved people from the disability community from the very beginning instead of trying to develop changes before consulting with us, then they’d be able to understand early on what we believe the benefits and risks are to each proposed change. To coin a phrase that has been widely and regularly used by the disability community for the last 30 years, “nothing about us, without us”.
Jess Cochran is a queer disability advocate, talented performing artist, speaker and survivor of abuse. She strives to advocate for accessibility, safety and respect for those with disability, and disassembling ableist constructs. Follow her work on her website, Instagram and Facebook. Jess is represented by Champion Health Agency.