If you’re someone with a disability, then one of the best ways to access relevant disability support services is through the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). The NDIS provides funding for eligible participants, and connects them with disability services that suit each person’s individual needs. Once you find out whether you’re eligible for NDIS funding, then you can apply, attend your planning meeting, and use your funding to access the right disability services for you!
Are you eligible for NDIS funding?
The NDIS has specific eligibility requirements that you have to meet in order to apply for funding, so you should check these to make sure that the NDIS is the right disability support avenue for you.
The requirements are as follows:
- You must be an Australian citizen or permanent resident
- Your disability should be ‘permanent and significant’
- You should be under 65 when you first join
- You must live in the specified NDIS area
If you’ve met all of these requirements, then you can begin the thorough planning process to apply for the NDIS and access the intellectual disability support services you need.
Preparing for your planning meeting
It’s important to prepare for your first NDIS planning meeting, as it will be helpful if you can clearly demonstrate the goals that you’d like to achieve and how NDIS funding can help you to achieve them. There are some documents that you will need to bring, such as relevant medical reports and assessments.
To help you to prepare for your first planning meeting, we’ve developed an NDIS pre-planning guide to help you to secure the funding you need to access the right disability support. You can check it out here!
What to expect at the meeting
The purpose of your NDIS planning meeting is to gather all your information together and work with your Local Area Coordinator or NDIA Planner to create the right plan for your needs.
During the meeting, you’ll discuss your goals and describe the activities and tasks you most need support with. Your goals are an important part of your NDIS plan, as they determine what your services are helping you work towards. For instance, your goal could be to use public transport independently or find and retain a job. In the meeting, you’ll break down any large goals into smaller ones for a step-by-step approach.
What happens after your plan is approved
Once you have an approved NDIS plan, there are a few ways that you can manage your funding and begin to access your disability supports. One important thing to know is that your NDIS plan usually lasts for one year, after which you’ll have a plan review meeting to see if anything needs to be changed.
So, when the time comes for your plan review meeting, it is important that you prepare to demonstrate the goals that you’d like to achieve and how NDIS funding is/can help you to achieve them.
Choosing your disability support provider
Once you have NDIS funding, you can choose where you’d like to spend it! Choosing the right NDIS provider for your disability support services is important, as there are many providers that you can choose from, both registered an unregistered.
Activ is the largest registered provider of disability support in Perth and throughout WA, offering a wide range of services to suit your needs.
We’ve been offering disability support in WA for over 70 years and can support you on every step of your NDIS journey. So, if you’re looking into accessing disability services in WA, get in touch with our friendly team today!