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The introduction of a National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) in Australia has changed the basis of service provision for people with disability. This mixed-methods study presents the experiences of parents of children with hearing loss during national rollout of the NDIS. Surveys were completed by 100 parents, with 57 parents reporting their child received NDIS funding. Individual interviews of seven parents in different locations provided further information. Between-group comparisons were made and regression analysis examined the influence of parental disadvantage on NDIS experiences. Qualitative data were analysed for themes and findings were triangulated. The NDIS has improved services for some children with hearing loss but initial access and ongoing navigation can be challenging for others. Barriers included a complicated system, planning delays, poor communication and uninformed National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) staff. This study suggests areas of refinement and further investigation that may improve services for children with hearing loss. Parents of children with hearing loss in Australia had difficulty accessing the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) due to poor communication and delays. Parents reported the NDIS system was challenging and felt they needed high levels of education and advocacy skills to navigate the system and prepare information to justify necessary disability supports for their child. Parents were concerned that disadvantaged families would not receive adequate supports for their child with hearing loss due to the complexity of the NDIS. This small-scale national study indicates that recent and upcoming changes to the NDIS should be evaluated to ensure children with hearing loss can access equivalent funding packages and services regardless of family circumstances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the results of a study seeking to examine the experiences of people with intellectual disability in a sporting context. The research design employed an online, interviewer-completed questionnaire in both a standard and an easy English version designed for administration by a third party for those requiring assistance to respond. Questions sought both quantitative responses about levels of participation and qualitative responses about constraints experienced and benefits received from participation. The results of the study show high levels of participation reported by people who are independent or have lower to moderate support needs, whereas people with high to very high support needs had substantially lower levels of participation. Constraints are examined for both those who participate in sport and those who do not. For those who do participate, the benefits were identified as overwhelmingly social in nature, including belonging, companionship and achievement. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]