Your NDIS Rights: How to Request Changes & Challenge Decisions

Your NDIS plan is built on the principles of choice, control, and consent. This means you have the right to be involved in decisions about your supports. But what does this look like in everyday situations?

Consider these common scenarios:

• A requested support is refused: Your occupational therapist says a particular piece of assistive technology isn't 'reasonable and necessary', or your support coordinator won't help you explore a specific community activity.
• A provider places limits: Your support worker says they can't assist with a task that is clearly within your plan's capacity building goals, citing 'company policy'.
• Communication is lacking: Decisions about your supports are made without your input, or you receive invoices for services you didn't properly consent to.
• A funding decision is unclear: Your plan states a budget for 'social participation' but doesn't specify how it can be used, leading to disputes with providers.

In all these cases, you have rights under the NDIS Act 2013 and the NDIS Code of Conduct. Your funding is for your agreed goals, and supports must be delivered in a way that respects your dignity and choice. The first step is recognising when these principles aren't being followed.