Chapter 1
If an NDIS provider ignores your needs or discriminates against you, you have the right to take action.
🔹 Steps to Take if a Provider is Not Affirming or Respectful:
✔️ Request a different provider (NDIS allows you to change providers if they are not meeting your needs)
✔️ Talk to a support coordinator or advocate about your options
✔️ Make a complaint to the NDIS Quality & Safeguards Commission
💡 Example Complaint Statement:
📌 "My provider refuses to use my correct pronouns, making me feel unsafe. I would like to request a different provider who respects my identity."
7. Remember: Your Voice Matters!
✔️ You have the right to services that respect your identity and needs
✔️ Self-advocacy helps you access better supports and feel empowered
✔️ You don’t have to do it alone—there are people and groups that can help
Real-Life Scenario: Leila (she/they), a 16-year-old Torres Strait Islander and autistic person, struggles to communicate their need for breaks during social skills training. Their mentor, another neurodivergent First Nations young person, teaches them how to use a visual communication card system incorporating traditional symbols to express when they need space or rest. This allows Leila to advocate for themselves in a way that aligns with their cultural identity.