Exploring the lived experience of the National Disability Insurance Scheme for school students with disability in NSW Australia

Abstract To improve efficiencies in disability support funding, including support for people with vision impairment, in 2013 the Australian Government initiated the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). The impact on participants’ lives has been widely documented, however, many of these studies have focused on adults with disabilities and related issues. But what of the situation for school students? Five purposely selected recent studies which investigated the experiences of Australian parents of school students with disability as they sought to access NDIS support are reviewed. Common themes identified in these studies confirm that families are frustrated with the reality of accessing less (not more) school-based support for their children as they grapple with the rules of the NDIS scheme in NSW. Parents are seeking more choice, more control, and more school-based services.