IAC meeting bulletin, 14 May 2026
The Independent Advisory Council (IAC) met online on 14 May 2026. At the meeting, they discussed:
What they have heard in their communities
A progress update on the IAC’s ‘Justice and the NDIS’ Advice
The IAC’s 2026-27 Work Plan.
Principal Member Leah van Poppel led the meeting.
What Members have heard in their communities
Members raised community concerns about the impact of fuel costs on participant access to NDIS funded services. Some community members have reported their providers and support workers are restricting non-essential travel. Members shared examples of support workers changing their services, often at the last minute. Participants sometimes miss medical appointments or general care. The Agency shared data from the National Contact Centre that showed low level of contact on this issue. The CEO confirmed the Agency is monitoring the impact of fuel prices and is following the whole-of-government response and National Fuel Plan.
Members shared general fears in the community about the changes to the NDIS proposed by Government in the NDIS Amendment Bill. This includes fears about:
reductions to social and community participation funding
NDIS access and eligibility changes
Members mentioned how across the disability sector there are growing feelings of fatigue and burnout. People who have worked in the sector for decades are thinking about leaving.
Members raised objections to how the Easy Read version of the Minister’s recent announcement did not include any of the statement’s most impactful aspects. This led to Members restating the need for the Agency to produce participant plans in Easy Read. Members requested an official timeline from the Agency to make Easy Read plans available to participants.
Members asked the Agency to work with the Ministers and their communications teams about Scheme changes. They advocated for more positive media coverage of the NDIS and participants. Recent negative coverage has distressed many participants in the community. Members feel it would improve how the public sees NDIS participants if more people with disability spoke on behalf of the Scheme.
IAC Advice update
Members discussed and provided further input into the IAC’s draft advice on ‘Justice and the NDIS.’
IAC Work Plan 2026-27
Members continued their discussion on key components of the IAC’s Work Plan for 2026-27.
More information on the IAC
The IAC will next meet on Thursday 25 June online. Find out more about IAC and Reference Group meetings and bulletins at the IAC website.
Information in Easy Read
The IAC publishes an Easy Read version of this bulletin. This is part of its commitment to accessibility.