Skye Kakoschke-Moore (SA, Nick Xenophon Team) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to Senator Ryan, the Minister representing the Minister for Social Services. The NDIS, which commenced operations in 2013 across three trial sites, has never consistently provided information, forms or plans in accessible formats. According to Vision Australia, currently it varies between 'difficult' and 'impossible' for a participant or potential participant in the NDIS to access information about the NDIS in braille or in an alternative form of their choice. Does the minister concede that this inaccessibility is in fundamental conflict with the principles of choice and control that underpin the NDIS?

Scott Ryan (Victoria, Liberal Party, Special Minister of State) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Kakoschke-Moore for her question. The National Disability Insurance Agency and the government acknowledge that the NDIS is a big change for people with disability, their families and carers, and it is important that they are well informed about how the NDIS works and that they can easily navigate the system, including making an access request. The NDIA is working very hard with stakeholders to ensure forms, platforms and information are in an accessible format for the blind and vision impaired and accessible to the widest possible audience. The NDIA has had the NDIS access request form available in braille since December 2016. The NDIS access request form can also be filled out electronically using screen reading assistive technology used by people who are vision impaired. Large text versions of core communication products such as My NDIS Pathway and 'How the NDIS can help your child' have been available since January 2017 to NDIA staff and partners in the community to distribute and print on a case-by-case basis. The NDIA is continuing to review its communication products based on feedback received from participants, their families and carers and advocacy groups through internal processes, new roll-out regions and the Joint Standing Committee on the NDIS.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Kakoschke-Moore, a supplementary question.

Skye Kakoschke-Moore (SA, Nick Xenophon Team) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

How did the government create the NDIS without accessible material for the blind or vision impaired?

Scott Ryan (Victoria, Liberal Party, Special Minister of State) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I think it is fair to describe that, while there is substantial disagreement over whether or not the previous government provided funding for the NDIS, the NDIS has always been a bipartisan or, in fact, cross-partisan project in terms of delivering these particular services and ensuring that we care for the vulnerable and, in many cases, people who have been forgotten or have fallen through the cracks of our federal system or the provision of services inconsistently across states. I do not think, given the information I have got at hand and given the sheer scale of the rollout that has been in place, that is a fair characterisation of what the government has done. There are measures in place in line with this—for example, the NDIA is ensuring that core participant information products are WCAG2.0 AA compliant to ensure they are most up to date with screen reading technology. I think this is an ongoing effort, given the scale of the project involved.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Kakoschke-Moore, a final supplementary question.

Skye Kakoschke-Moore (SA, Nick Xenophon Team) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Vision Australia is the largest provider of services to Australians who are blind, deaf-blind or have low vision and is therefore well placed to provide the government with advice about the challenges these people face. What consultation has the government undertaken with Vision Australia to ensure that the NDIS has appropriate, accessible information formats?

Scott Ryan (Victoria, Liberal Party, Special Minister of State) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I think you will understand, Senator Kakoschke-Moore, I am not briefed on the scale of the consultation processes. In my first answer to your question I went through a number of processes in place, but I will seek advice from the minister and come back to the Senate.