Australian Government response to the Joint Standing Committee on the National Disability Insurance Scheme interim report: Provision of hearing services under the National Disability Insurance Scheme

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The Australian Government welcomes the Joint Standing Committee on the National Disability Insurance Scheme (the Committee) interim report, Provision of hearing services under the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), September 2017 (interim report).

As part of the Committee’s inquiry into the implementation, performance and governance of the NDIS, the Committee examined how hearing services are transitioned to, and delivered through, the NDIS.

The interim report focuses on the NDIS access criteria for deaf and hard of hearing people, and access to and delivery of early intervention services. The Committee intends to release a final report after the release of the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) early intervention reference packages.

The Government is committed to supporting people with hearing impairment, including through the NDIS where that is appropriate.

In September 2017, the NDIA released revised access criteria operational guidelines for people with hearing impairment.

The interim report welcomes the release of the revised operational guidelines to determine access to the NDIS for people with hearing impairment and notes that the recently released access criteria for people aged 0-25 years is consistent with the current practices of Australian Hearing, and are welcomed by the hearing sector.

The interim report’s six recommendations relate to issues about the availability of services for people who are not eligible for the NDIS, eligibility criteria for determining access to the NDIS, referral pathways for access to early intervention services, and the adequacy and approach of early intervention reference packages for people aged 0 to 25 years of age.

The Government supports or partially supports all recommendations made in the interim report.

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