I have just been diagnosed with a disability, how do I access the NDIS?

If you, or someone you know, has been newly diagnosed with disability, they can start receiving their NDIS supports as soon as they meet access.

The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is now available across all regions in Victoria, so it is important to start the access process as soon as you receive your diagnosis, to start receiving the support you need.

The six steps below explain how to access the NDIS and start receiving your funded supports:

1. Contact the NDIA: To begin your NDIS journey, you need to contact the NDIA to ensure you meet NDIS access requirements. For adults with disability, these requirements are:
   • you are under 65 years of age
   • you are an Australian resident or hold an appropriate visa, and
   • you have a permanent disability.
2. Complete an Access Request form: You can download an Access Request form from the NDIS website. After you have submitted the completed form, the NDIS will contact you to advise the outcome of your application.
3. Have your planning meeting: When access has been confirmed, the NDIA will contact you to arrange a planning meeting with a Local Area Coordinator (LAC) or NDIA planner. During this meeting you will talk about your current supports, any supports you may need and your goals for the future. Yooralla can support you to prepare for this meeting, with our free guide to prepare for the NDIS.
4. Receive your NDIS plan: After your planning meeting, the NDIA will provide you with your approved plan, based on the conversation you had during your planning meeting. This plan will show how much funding you have to support you to achieve your goals. Yooralla can support you to implement your NDIS plan it, with our free guide.
5. Set up Service Agreements with service provider/s: To start receiving your NDIS supports, you will need to set up Service Agreements with your chosen service provider/s.
6. Start receiving your NDIS supports: Once Service Agreements have been set-up, you can start receiving your supports.

The pathway to accessing the NDIS differs slightly for a child and is dependent on their age and their support needs. You can find out about the process for children and access resources to support your child’s NDIS journey on Yooralla’s website.

Yooralla can support you to access the NDIS if you have been newly diagnosed with disability and throughout every stage of your NDIS journey, with free NDIS resources and free, one-on-one discussions with Yooralla Connect.