NDIS Planning

Blind Sports NSW is committed to providing people with vision impairment the opportunity to become involved in disability sport and active recreation as means of leading a healthy life. This quest can be difficult, and Blind Sports NSW is determined to provide the easiest possible pathway for participants to achieve these goals. A primary way Blind Sports NSW leads their participants on this journey is by partnering with the National Disability Insurance Scheme, or NDIS.

NDIS provides people with permanent disability across Australia the necessary services to live an ordinary life. NDIS works with people with disability and their caretakers to help plan personalized services and support that ease and positively influence their overall well-being.

Blind Sports NSW is committed to helping people with disability who wish to get involved in active recreation through various Blind Sports, but need some level of assistance to get there.

HOW:

• Blind Sports NSW will offer free consultation to aspiring participants to help them design NDIS service plans

• This pre-planning will allow for more complete NDIS services and prevent the need for restructuring later

• Blind Sports NSW also encourages vision impaired participants to reach out to Vision Australia for additional consultation so that they can be most knowledgeable of available services

Below is a comprehensive explanation of NDIS, what they offer, and how to gain access.

NDIS

NDIS is the first national organisation for people with disabilities in Australia. It provides reasonable and necessary funding to people with a permanent and significant disability the access to supports and services they need to live and enjoy their life.

Every NDIS participant is assisted in creating an individualised plan that lists their goals and helps them receive the funding they need. Funding is closely monitored, and cannot be used for a non-governmentally sanctioned service – or for a service not related to their disability.

NDIS encourages new participants to start the plan with a local area coordinator (LAC) or support coordinator, or early childhood partner (ECEI coordinator), so they are better prepared when they eventually sit down with an NDIS planner.

NDIS planners have skills and knowledge from the allied health, mental health and disability support sectors and work to create individualised plans for every participant.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA:

• Under 65 years

• Have Australian residency (Australian Citizen, Permanent Resident or special category Visa

• Live in an area where NDIS is currently available

• Usually needs support from another person or use special equipment to complete everyday tasks because of permanent and significant disability (includes disabilities that are episodic such as people who have significant and lifelong psychosocial disabily)

To access the NDIS to receive early intervention supports you must:

• Have a permanent disability

• Be a child aged 0-6 years with a significant developmental delay that requires a certain level of intervention

• Show evidence that getting support will help you by; reducing the impacts of your disability or developmental delay and build your skills and independence

Support available for blind and low vision participants:

• Travel - to get to employment/school, community access

• Support around the home - learning to cook meals independently, gardening

• Improved daily activities - training on orientation and mobility, occupational therapy

• Assistive technology - magnifiers, long mobility canes (supported through Guide Dogs), CCTV

For more information visit: www.ndis.gov.au

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