Politicians of all persuasions have backed the National Disability Insurance Scheme. But advocacy groups are demanding urgent changes.

Chris Smith reports.

TRANSCRIPT

Disability advocacy groups, people with disabilities, their families, carers and service providers gathered in Brisbane today.

The Make It Work Forum says Canberra’s been unresponsive to calls to fix the NDIS for too long.

Peter Tully, Every Australian Counts: “Today is what we’re calling a national day of action where we’re saying to the Government in the middle of an election campaign we want you to fund it and fix it.”

Speakers told the forum this financial year alone, the federal budget underspent by three-point-four billion on disability services.

Paul Larcombe, Independent Senate Candidate: “We need to ensure NDIS funds stay with NDIS and increase the capacity of the programs out there to have the staff to ensure the people with disabilities get what they need.”

Panelist Terri Warner travelled from Canberra, to advocate for greater transparency when helping people with disabilities.

Terri Warner, Every Australian Counts Champion: “We certainly hear a lot of stories about the wins and losses and the challenges of accessing the NDIS.”

The reason for today is to make the NDIS work.

After six long years of being introduced the NDIS is still not working as promised.

Chris Smith, QUT News.