31/08/2026
A quick update for FST families:
We know that changes around NDIS are creating a lot of uncertainty for families & most of us are questioning what support in the future will look like.
We don’t want to sit back & hope that decisions that impact us all are made the way we’d hope, so today we submitted a response to the Australian Governments consultation on the new Inclusive Communities Fund, which is an AUS govt initiative to help community organisations become more inclusive & accessible for people with disabilities.
We used it as a chance to share what we’ve learned about meaningful inclusion & what it actually takes… not just getting youth through the door but creating places where they are known, supported, challenged, connected & able to grow in confidence.
We also spoke about the realities that small inclusive organisations face: smaller group sizes but higher staffing costs, venue costs, compliance & our belief that good inclusion can becomes challenging when programs are pushed to increase numbers with many behind the scenes costs.
Most importantly, we wanted the government to hear that inclusion is more than just “access”.
It’s about belonging, self-worth, friendship, confidence & having a place where youth can feel “hey, I fit in here as me.”
Like you, we don’t know exactly what the coming changes will mean. But we do want our families to know that we are paying attention, speaking up where we can & doing our part to advocate for the kind of community we believe our kids should have.
