A decade on: The achievements and challenges of the National Disability Insurance Scheme's implementation

Abstract

The National Disability Scheme began implementation in 2013 and in this article we reflect on its first decade. We explore why the National Disability Scheme was introduced and key design elements of the scheme before examining significant areas of debates that have emerged over this period, namely: co-design of the scheme with people with disability; scheme costs; Tier 2 services; administrative burden and its unequal impact on different groups of participants; and market stewardship. We argue that many people accessing the NDIS have seen their lives transformed in a positive sense, but this is not the case for all and there remain some significant challenges with the scheme. The paper concludes by looking ahead and thinking about what might happen next for the NDIS to realise its full potential for all participants.