If you are an NDIS participant, you must know what are your rights and responsibilities while pursuing a disability accommodation in Sydney. This knowledge helps you make several informed decisions regarding accommodation supports and ensure that your personalised goals and aspirations are mitigated.
Through this blog, we will be discussing various rights and responsibilities of NDIS participants regarding disability accommodation along with key principles, the decision-making process, and the support available.
Understanding Your Rights as an NDIS Participant
If you are an NDIS participant, the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission provides you with certain rights. These rights are termed in detail in the NDIS Code of Conduct and are designed to make sure you get high-quality and safe support, including in your disability accommodation.
- Right to Choose and Control
One of the key rights NDIS provides its participants regarding accommodation is the right of Choice and control. That means you can choose where you want to live and who you want to live with and have complete authority over the support and services you are willing to get. Moreover, you can decide on your own the type of accommodation that best suits your requirements and meets your goals, whether it is supported independent living, shared housing, or specialist disability accommodation (SDA).
- Right to Dignity and Respect
As a participant, you have every right to be treated with utmost dignity and respect. This includes being respected as an individual, having your privacy intact, and being accepted irrespective of your culture and identity. Also, the support service you get in your disability accommodation should promote a sense of independence and make sure that you get treated without any discrimination.
- Right to High-Quality and Safe Supports
When you choose a disability accommodation, you have the right to that your disability accommodation meets high standards of quality and safety. This includes having qualified and skilled support workers, safe and well-maintained premises, and appropriate equipment and resources to mitigate your needs. Your accommodation should have facilities to protect your health and safety, infection control and emergency procedures.
- Right to Accessibility and Inclusion
As a participant, you have another right to expect that your disability accommodation should be fully accessible and designed to meet your personalised needs. In case you have mobility-related disability, then your accommodation must have essential facilities such as grab rails, ramps, and modified bathrooms. There also should be necessary assistive technology or communication device in your aid. Moreover, your accommodation should also promote social inclusion by encouraging you to participate within your community and engage in various social activities.
- Right to Information and Decision-Making
As a participant, you have the right to know clear and accurate information about your disability accommodation options, including costs, services provided, and any terms and conditions. This information should be provided in a format that is accessible to you, and you should have the opportunity to ask questions and seek further clarification.
Responsibilities of NDIS Participants
While NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission assures the participants with various rights, they also have important responsibilities towards accommodation to make sure he/she gets the support unhindered.
- Providing Accurate Information
NDIS participants should impart every minute details and information of related to his/her disability. This should include sharing any relevant medical conditions attached, his/her medications, or support requirements that may impact his/her accommodation needs. By providing clear and honest information, participants can make sure that their accommodation fulfill his/her needs.
- Participating in Planning and Decision-Making
NDIS Participants should be ready to actively engage in the planning process for their disability accommodation. This usually involves working together with their NDIS support coordinator, disability accommodation provider, and other relevant caregivers to significantly identify their preferences, goals, and support needs. By taking part in decision-making, participants can make sure their accommodation recognises their individual needs and aspirations offer assistance accordingly to help them reach their goals.
- Communicating Concerns and Feedback
If any NDIS participant has any issues regarding the services they are receiving from the accommodation, it is their duty to inform the provider about the problem in a proper and timely manner. For example, he/she can communicate directly with their support workers, accommodation provider, or NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission and share the nature of the concern he/she is having. By voicing these concerns, the participant can help improve the quality and safety of their accommodation.
- Respecting Others’ Rights and Privacy
As the NDIS accommodation has the duty to respect NDIS participants’ privacy, the participant has a similar responsibility of respecting the privacy of their fellow housemates or neighbours in disability accommodation. As an example, they should maintain confidentiality, respect others’ personal space and property, and be considerate of others’ needs and preferences. Moreover, they should also be careful of noise the levels especially in the shared accommodation, and abide by any rules or guidelines in place to make sure a harmonious living environment can take place.
- Managing Finances and NDIS Funds
Participants are duly responsible for managing their own NDIS funds effectively and ensuring that they are used accurately and appropriately for their disability accommodation. Let’s take an example, he/she should be tracking of expenses, providing invoices or receipts, and ensuring that payments are made on time. Participants should also be aware of any financial responsibilities that are not covered by the NDIS, such as utility bills or personal expenses.
Available Supports for NDIS Participants
In case as a participant, you want to know more details about the rights and responsibilities you are entitled at an accommodation, there are several options available to gather information. They can get access to a wide range of supports to assist them in knowing their rights and responsibilities and understanding the disability accommodation process.
- Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) Providers
Specialist Disability Accommodation providers are organisations or individuals who offer specialist disability accommodation service for NDIS participants who are having extreme impairment and require high end support to mitigate their needs. They work together with the participant to make him/her understand their personalised accommodation needs and provide tailor-made solutions. SDA providers also help participants in applying for SDA funding through the NDIS.
- Support Coordinators
Support coordinators are another informed option whom you can turn to get more information. They play a crucial role in helping NDIS participants to implement their NDIS plan. Moreover, they can help a participant in finding and securing suitable disability accommodation too. Besides, helping participants understand their options, advocating their rights, and facilitating in the decision-making process – they cover all. They might also provide ongoing assistance to make sure the participant’s accommodation and support services are fulfilling their requirements effectively.
Stay Informed To Make An Informed Decision About Your Choices
Therefore, it is always recommended to know your rights and responsibilities as a participant, especially when you are opting for an accommodation. This will not only help you get better services in a disability accommodation, but will also help your accommodation provider meet your unique needs and reach your goals faster.
By abiding all this information, you should be able to empower yourself to make the most of your NDIS funding and create a living environment that help you to thrive in your choice and terms. Always Remember, your disability accommodation should be a place where you feel safe, included, respected and promoted with a tinge of independence.
