NDIS on trial: Citizen jurors hear from scheme participants
Citizen jurors will determine this week whether the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is working, hearing evidence from people with disabilities participating in NDIS launch sites across Australia.
The 12 jurors, half are people with a disability and none are part of the NDIS, have been randomly selected.
People with Disability Australia (PWD) is the organisation behind the trial.
"We thought it was time to reconnect this reform with ordinary participants," PWD president Craig Wallace said.
When the scheme is fully rolled out in 2019, it will have a budget of $22 billion.
Mr Wallace said it was vital that taxpayers who will foot the bill had a chance to judge how well the scheme was working.
"Those people who have paid for the scheme actually have the opportunity to render the verdict themselves," he said.
Trial witness Linda Blaik, an NDIS participant from Geelong in Victoria, was selected to come to Sydney to speak at the trial.
Blind for nearly a decade, Ms Blaik has eagerly adopted technology to make her life easier, using a smart phone app to quickly read out messages and to type and send replies.
But while prizing her independence, she said she relied on NDIS help to head into town a few times a week.
Just like a court trial, testimony is not recorded but Linda said she did not hold back with her observations.
"Why do some of the NDIS staff make it easy for me, but harder for others?" she told the jury.
"Why isn't there consistency?"
Simone Stevens, also from Geelong, who lives with cerebral palsy and a mild intellectual disability, also gave testimony.
Ms Stevens also volunteers as a disability advocate.
When asked what the most important point she wanted to express to the jury was, Ms Stevens said "inclusion".
"Inclusion is including everyone - people with cognitive disabilities, and intellectual disabilities - not just physical disabilities," she said.
The end verdict will come in the form of a scorecard when it is released by PWD in April.
These results will be sent to all federal cabinet ministers, the Prime Minister, and every federal MP and Senator.
