We’re made up of a group of people with disability and NDIS participants, families, providers, and supporters who care deeply about the future of the NDIS. Some of us work in the sector. Some of us live it. All of us are worried.

This campaign was sparked by people on the ground: those who’ve seen the impact of these changes up close. No corporate backing. No polished media team. Just people who couldn't stay silent any longer.

Want to know more about the people driving this? Meet the team behind the campaign.

Because it’s not sustainable anymore. And it hasn’t been for a while.

Across the NDIS, people have been absorbing the true costs of support - therapists, support coordinators, plan managers and others in the sector...

We've all been carrying extra weight, hoping things would balance out.

For years, many providers’ response has been to just… figure it out.

To make it work however we could.

Many of us chose to undercharge, work unpaid hours, and stretch ourselves- because we care, and because we didn’t want to pass pressure onto the people we support.

But in doing that, we’ve also unintentionally hidden the true cost of delivering quality support. And when something’s hidden, it’s easy to undervalue. That’s what’s happened here- a system that slowly started to rely on unpaid labour.

We’re seeing the consequences now. People are burning out. Services are closing. Supports disappearing, especially in regional and remote areas.

This campaign didn’t start just because of one pricing update. It started because people have had enough, of working under pressure, of watching supports disappear, of being expected to do more with less.

We realised that if we don’t say something now, the NDIS as we know it - the support system that so many people rely on - could fall apart.

And for people with disability, who have fought relentlessly for their rights, it’s yet another moment of needing to speak up just to be heard.

Nothing about us without us.

Disabled people have been leading the push for inclusion and equity long before this campaign began. We’re not claiming to speak for anyone, we’re standing with them.

But we know actions speak louder than words. So we’re:

• Working with people with lived experience to co-create resources and messaging

• Creating space for disabled voices to be heard through our story collection form.

• Checking ourselves when we get it wrong, and staying open to feedback when we need to do better
  

This campaign is stronger because of disabled voices, and it’s our responsibility to keep listening, learning, and making room.

These changes don’t just affect current NDIS participants and providers. The ripple effect reaches schools, hospitals, future workers, and communities across the country.

Here’s what’s at risk:

• Our Education Systems
  Teachers and schools rely on NDIS-funded supports to help students regulate, communicate, and stay engaged. Without this support, students may be excluded, or left behind entirely, leaving our already overloaded and under-resourced educators to pick up the slack.

• Future Therapists and NDIS Workers
  Students studying allied health, support work, or looking to join the NDIS workforce are watching these changes and reconsidering their career paths. Poor placement experiences, reduced supervision, and burnout are turning people away before they’ve even entered the field.

• Public Infrastructure
  When people can’t access the support they need through the NDIS, they’re often pushed into systems not built for long-term care, like emergency departments, child protection, or crisis services. That means already overstretched systems become even more saturated. Emergency waiting rooms are somehow even more packed. Triple-zero is off the hook, and child protection cases grow.

These are structural impacts, and they affect all of us.The question isn’t if this impacts you, it’s when.

Read more about the impact here.

Until recently, a formal Parliamentary Petition wasn’t possible. Following the election, Australia was operating under a caretaker government. Key ministerial roles, and the Standing Committee on Petitions, weren’t yet up and running.

Without that structure in place, no petitions could be accepted.

Now, though, things are getting back on track. We expect the new ministry and committee to be fully in place by August. Once that happens, a national petition might be on the cards 👀

In the meantime, we’ve been using every tool we can (Change.org, media, advocacy…) to make sure our message is already loud and clear.

On its own? No. A petition won’t rewrite the Price Guide or overturn legislation.

But a petition with over 100,000 voices? That’s something. That’s momentum. That’s pressure.

And this campaign isn’t stopping there. We’re:

• Creating resources to educate participants, providers, and supporters
  

• Engaging directly with MPs, peak bodies, and media to keep the conversation going
  

• Building connections across this space so this momentum turns into real, lasting advocacy
  

Signing the petition is about more than a signature, it’s about proving to people that this issue; the rights and access of people with disabilities is something that we all back. That enough is enough. That it’s now or never.

Phase 1 was our push in the lead-up to the 2024- 25 NDIS Price Guide.
We knew decisions were being made behind closed doors, and this was our last real chance to speak up before they were locked in.

We focused on:

• A national Change.org campaign

• MP letter-writing tools

• Open letters and data-gathering across the sector

And it made an impact.
Minister Jordan Steele-John responded directly to the petition—acknowledging the pressure and concerns raised. It also brought together thousands of voices across the country—providers, families, and community members—many of whom had never been connected in this way before. For the first time, people across disciplines, roles, and regions came together to say the same thing: this matters.

Phase 2 was a rapid, final push in the days just before the 2024–25 NDIS Price Guide was released. It was the 11th hour. We knew decisions were close to being locked in.

We launched a social media campaign focused on visibility and action.
People were encouraged to:

• Share their stories about how the changes would impact them

• ‘Paint the town purple and orange’ to show solidarity

• Tag and email MPs, post online, and

• Challenge 11 others to sign the petition and do the same

This stage was about using every channel we had to make the real-world impact on people with disability impossible to ignore, right before the final decision was made.

And it reached far.
We saw national media coverage, and a wave of public attention.

For a few crucial days, the conversation couldn’t be ignored.

If NDIA leadership and government don’t respond by 31 July, We move to our next big national movement in August

Together, we’re growing louder and stronger.

We will not be silenced.

Now means now.

A lot of advocacy happens behind the scenes - through meetings, submissions, and policy work. Many peak bodies have been doing this for years, often balancing complex relationships and priorities.

Each professional body represents an entire profession or community, including people working both within the NDIS space and outside of it. That means their advocacy might look different, and their decisions around involvement often reflect a broader scope of responsibility to their discipline.

Some peak bodies have their own strategies or things to consider before backing a grassroots campaign like this. That doesn’t mean they support the NDIS changes, it just means they’re advocating within the responsibilities of their boards, the needs of their broader membership, and the sector relationships they’re navigating every day.

And whether or not they’re officially involved in the It’s Now or Never campaign, we believe we’re all pushing for the same thing: a fairer, more sustainable NDIS that works for the people it was built for - in whatever ways we can.

There are plenty of ways to support the campaign, big or small, loud or behind the scenes:

• Sign the petition and explore resources

• Share your voice

• Volunteer your time or skills

• Join the mailing list for updates

• Follow along on Instagram

• Connect with our team

We’re in this together, however you show up, you are a part of the change, and we are so grateful to have you join us.

Absolutely, we know how confusing this can get.

That’s why we have a dedicated page for resources to support NDIS Participants in understanding and navigating the changes. Click here to be redirected to it

Fair question. As a grassroots group made up of people volunteering time outside of their usual 9–5s, we know things don’t always update at lightning speed. Sometimes, details slip through the cracks.

We’re working hard behind the scenes to keep everything as current and accurate as possible, while juggling advocacy, media, events, and life. If you spot something that’s no longer relevant or could be clearer, please let us know. It helps more than you think. 💙