Louise
Content Warning: These stories are about violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation and may include references to suicide or self-harming behaviours. They may contain graphic descriptions and strong language and may be distressing. Some narratives may be about First Nations people who have passed away. If you need support, please see Contact & support.
‘A person with autism and psychosocial disability has NO hope of navigating this quagmire.’
Louise is in her 50s and has autism and psychosocial disability. She told the Royal Commission about her experiences dealing with the NDIA. She says she’s been mistreated and denied her ‘right to privacy, to safety, to respect and to dignity’.
Louise said the NDIA lost a confidential medical report diagnosing her autism, and lost two plans. They also had to rewrite her plan three times because they could not spell her name correctly, made errors in relation to other details and ignored her new diagnosis of autism.
Louise had made sure she had a ‘do not call’ note on her NDIS file. ‘How people communicate with me is what can traumatise me further and cause me harm,’ she explained. Her communication directive stipulated that she be emailed beforehand with details of the date, time and nature of any upcoming appointments.
Nonetheless, Louise received a cold call from an NDIA representative. She later found out that during this call a local area coordinator had conducted a plan review. But Louise remembers very little about the phone call. ‘I had dissociated, I have NO memory of the conversation.’
Louise has found it difficult to register her complaints. She is unable to speak directly with the person or people who have made errors in relation to her plan so she can clear them up. Nor has she been able to communicate with the complaints team. ‘I can ONLY email and receive a generic response,’ she said.
Louise feels there is a lack of care in the way the NDIA treats participants.
‘The NDIS CAUSE the crisis then box tick me off in an email telling me to contact Lifeline … Why isn't it compulsory for the NDIS to provide instant telephone counselling like Centrelink do?’
Disclaimer: This is the story of a person who shared their personal experience with the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability through a submission or private session. The names in this story are pseudonyms. The person who shared this experience was not a witness and their account is not evidence. They did not take an oath or affirmation before providing the story. Nothing in this story constitutes a finding of the Royal Commission. Any views expressed are those of the person who shared their experience, not of the Royal Commission.