SDA participants across the country are celebrating today as an amendment to the Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) Rule was announced by Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme, Stuart Robert this morning.
The SDA Rule now allows people to share an SDA property with people not eligible for SDA (or NDIS for that matter). This means people can live with their partner, children or friends, regardless of whether or not they have a disability.
This decision comes as a result of significant lobbying from people with disabilities and organisations such as Youngcare.
Youngcare CEO, Anthony Ryan said the decision was an important step in allowing young people with high care needs to live the young lives they deserve.
“Youngcare’s position has always been that participants should be able to choose where they live, who they live with and how they live their lives. The new SDA Rule will enable people with disabilities to live with choice, which is something that we’ve always fought for and worked hard alongside the NDIA to achieve. This is a fantastic day for the disability sector.”
Todd Winther, advocate and Youngcare Grants Administrator is just one person who has been positively impacted by this change.
“This reform means that Government and the NDIA now officially recognises my wife and I as a married couple, who live at the same address. This is also the case with parents who require SDA funding who can now have their children officially live with them, and siblings who require SDA can now have their families officially living with them,”
“When I told my wife, Kat this news I cried. This change may seem small to outsiders, but Kat and I feel extremely gratified that our relationship is finally valued and respected by the government.”
