Parliamentary committee hears of NDIS difficulties, as leaders face questions over capability

Alison Connoley’s life changed one night in 2017 when she went to bed and woke up without the use of her legs, now the Geelong mother is using her experience to help others navigate the NDIS.

Alison Connoley testified at a public hearing for the Joint Standing Committee on the NDIS. Picture: Alexander Blain.

Alison Connoley’s life changed one night in 2017 when she went to bed and woke up without the use of her legs.

Transverse myelitis caused by an infection paralysed Ms Connoley from the waist down.

A registered nurse, the mother-of-three is now using her experience to help others navigate the “brick wall” of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).

Ms Connoley testified at a parliamentary hearing in Geelong on Monday, held by a subcommittee of the Joint Standing Committee on the NDIS.

At the public hearing, key leaders from the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) and NDIS Commission faced questions into the capability and culture of the NDIA.

Members of the public then spoke, with some testifying that the NDIS was confusing, felt like a “brick wall” and was often inflexible and difficult to navigate.

Ms Connoley spoke of her own experience, as well as her experience as a mother of participants and working for a disability support provider.

After spending time in hospital, and then in rehab, Ms Connoley had a “incredibly huge learning curve” adapting to life in a wheelchair.

“I was discharged from the medical system with just a few weeks of respite funding,” she said.

Alison Connoley and her parents, Simone and Ross Trevean, who founded My Choice Group to help provide NDIS support. Picture: Alexander Blain

“I waited more than six months for my (NDIS) access request to be processed, and when I finally had my planning meeting... I wasn’t able to access support to source providers.”

Following her experience, Ms Connoley and her parents, Ross and Simone Trevean, founded disability support company, My Choice Group three years ago, which now provides NDIS support to 100 people in the Geelong region.

Ms Connoley told the committee many applicants had difficulty with the system.

“I was quite fortunate in that my health and community services background meant I can understand the terminology and the access paperwork,” she said.

Ms Connoley cited hard to understand terminology and strict deadlines as difficulties some faced.

“The process assumes that people have the resources to phone, email, scan or print (and) that people have access to a GP or medical specialist who can complete the paperwork by the due date provided by the NDIA,” she said.

Ms Connoley said the processes felt “almost deliberately difficult to navigate” and provided barriers to new participants being able to access support and funding.

“We started this voluntary program because we kept getting calls for assistance and in liaising with advocates in the area, they had closed their intake list for that type of support,” she said.

“We more often get referrals for people that have got a longstanding disability that they have had their entire life.

“They... come to our service seeking support because they’re feeling really overwhelmed with the process where they don’t understand what they’re expected to do, or they’re unsure why their request for access has been denied and what they should do next.”

The Geelong hearing will be followed by hearings in Melbourne, Launceston and Burnie.

Originally published as Parliamentary committee hears of NDIS difficulties, as leaders face questions over capability