As Queensland Prepares for NDIS Switch, Questions Arise Among the Disabled
Queensland's state disability system provides important care and support to those who are permanently disabled. Without the system, somewhere around 100,000 people in the state would struggle with getting the help they need, likely leaving many of these residents living on the margins of society. Instead, disabled people in Queensland enjoy a gratifying level of security and stability, allowing them to better focus on the challenges they regularly face in daily life.
Even with the popularity and successes of Queensland's system, though, the fact is that it will not be around for much longer. Halfway through the coming year, that system will segue into a sunset period, with all of those enrolled in it transitioning into a new one maintained by Australia's federal government. Although this deadline has understandably caused plenty of concern among those who rely on Queensland's system, the reality is that the transition is likely to be a positive one.
The foundations of the upcoming National Disability Insurance Scheme go back a number of years. By 2010, state-level politicians all around the country had come around to the view, long widespread in the ranks of federal leaders, that the disability systems they were responsible for maintaining were succumbing to inefficiency. While Queensland did a lot with the resources pumped into its own system, for instance, there was no denying the price that was paid to maintain infrastructure that was essentially duplicated in each state and territory of the country.
By 2013, these thoughts had been transformed into action, with the outlines of the new Host Provider system finally making it into law. What followed was a period of coordination between the federal government and the various states, with purposely time-staggered talks allowing for a gradual development and deployment of the new system.
Queensland's turn to gain entry into that new scheme will soon arrive. With federal authorities and state-level ones having already agreed on the details of the transition, most expect that there will be few issues making the switch to the new system.
One important thing that those with disabilities will need to take care of, though, is the selection of an NDIS service provider. In many cases, Queensland residents will be able to continue working with the same organizations that have provided care for them in the past. In others, switching to a new NDIS provider will be a good way of improving the level and specificity of services received.
