Indigenous face double NDIS disadvantage, network says

A fraction of the estimated 60,000 Indigenous Australians living with a disability are receiving support through the NDIS.

The federal government has outlined plans for serious and systemic reform to ensure the decade-old National Disability Insurance Scheme's long-term effectiveness.

And while NDIS Minister Bill Shorten has highlighted six key areas of reform, the First Peoples Disability Network works with individuals whose needs are more complex than some.

"The complications of living in regional, rural or remote areas means often the only disability services available to mob are hundreds of kilometres from where they live with no allowance made for transportation to access these essential services," network CEO Damian Griffis said.

"The tyranny of distance is enough of an issue, but throw in the lack of cultural safety in mainstream disability services and you have another compounding factor in mob not participating in the NDIS."

The issues stretch beyond those covered by the NDIS, to those considered by Closing the Gap benchmarks.

"We estimate that there are more than 60,000 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with disability who should be participating in the NDIS, but the current number is much lower than that," Mr Griffis said.

More than half a million Australians receive support from the NDIS, with projections showing it will cost more than $50 billion by 2025/26.

Mr Shorten said reforms would be centred on improving the experience of participants and maximising funds for their benefit.

"The NDIS saved the disability system from collapse ... It is the difference between a life and living death for many vulnerable Australians," he said.

Systemic reforms flagged by Mr Shorten included increasing the National Disability Insurance Agency workforce, addressing spiralling costs, introducing long-term plans, reviewing supported independent living arrangements and targeting criminal syndicates rorting the system.

But the most fundamental reform would be to ensure the NDIS was surrounded by increased community and mainstream support services. 

Mr Griffis said it is vital that the reforms address the under-representation of Indigenous people in the NDIS.

"When you get things right for our people and overcome the double disadvantage that disabled Indigenous people face, you invariably improve things for everyone," he said.

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