People with Disability Australia (PWDA) has welcomed the National Disability Insurance Agency’s plan for a new support needs assessment tool, licensing I-CAN version 6 and adapting it through co-design with the disability community. PWDA says this moves assessments away from a clinical or deficit model towards a holistic, rights-based approach aligned with the CRPD.
By PWDA
PWDA board director Alexandra Bignell supports a person-centred process and welcomes ongoing co-design through development, implementation and evaluation.
PWDA notes I-CAN has been refined over two decades and used across disability support programmes, including Disability Support for Older Australians. It adds that the NDIS context is distinct and will require careful adaptation, piloting and evaluation.
Key considerations
- Whole-of-life assessment that includes personal and environmental factors and wellbeing.
- Co-design with lived-experience leadership; transparency around roles with the University of Melbourne and Centre for Disability Studies.
- Staged implementation with evaluation and public updates; potential for longer-term plans.
- Clear and fair links from assessment to funding.
Questions PWDA is pursuing
- Assessor qualifications and training.
- How participant reports from trusted providers will be considered.
- How needs reports translate into budgets and how complexity is defined.
- Accessibility for participants with communication support needs and supported decision-making.
PWDA says it will continue working with the NDIA, government and partners so that reforms uphold dignity and rights, with a commitment that no one is worse off. It remains cautiously optimistic and will monitor next steps.
