WWDA CEO Sophie Cusworth shares what WWDA is advocating for following the Federal Budget and new NDIS Reform Bill, and where you can seek support.
Following the Federal Budget and the introduction of the new NDIS Reform Bill, WWDA wants our community to know: we are advocating for you.
We know many women, girls and gender-diverse people with disability may have questions or concerns about what these changes could mean for them, their families and our community.
We also know that many people in our community do not receive NDIS supports at all. In many cases, this is because of the very barriers WWDA continues to challenge. Some people have been denied access. Some are not eligible. Some have never been able to get the evidence, assessments or support needed to apply.
Whether you are an NDIS participant or not, WWDA is advocating for you.
We are advocating for disability supports both inside and outside the Scheme, so every woman, girl and gender-diverse person with disability can get what they need to live safely, independently, with dignity and choice.
What WWDA is advocating for
Over the coming weeks, WWDA will be carefully examining the Bill and what it could mean for our community.
The Bill is complex, technical and includes details that may be left to future rules and decisions. We are taking the time needed to work through it thoughtfully and understand its potential impact.
WWDA is advocating strongly for a robust Senate inquiry, so there is enough time to understand the detail, raise concerns and influence what happens next.
We are also calling for any inquiry or consultation process to be genuinely accessible. That means enough time for real and meaningful engagement with our community, information in accessible formats, and genuine outreach to the people most affected.
Our community must be heard, respected and included in the decisions that will affect our lives.
Reform must not make existing barriers worse
WWDA will continue to raise the gendered issues that are too often missed in disability reform.
This includes eligibility settings and assessment tools that fail to recognise our disability experiences, including chronic illness and fluctuating conditions, trauma, violence, caring responsibilities, and the different ways disability can present for us.
We are clear: reforms must not make these existing barriers worse. They must fix them.
WWDA will continue to push for reforms that are grounded in human rights, safety, dignity, autonomy and genuine equality.
We will also keep working with other Disability Representative Organisations and continue to share information with our community as clearly as we can.
Support is available
If these recent events and discussions are affecting your wellbeing, please look after yourself and reach out for support if you need it.
Support services
1800RESPECT
1800 737 732
Lifeline
13 11 14
Beyond Blue
1300 22 4636
13YARN
13 92 76
WWDA will continue to advocate as strongly as we can for you, with you and alongside you.
