My need and of course the needs of many other people with severe disabilities for the NDIS

Self-managed support practices the belief that the people being supported are, more often than not, the best teachers regarding the support they need and how it can be delivered. Self managed is to ensure that financial control of the supports being used is in the hands of persons with disabilities, or the person's family or a trustee. Therefore social participation in this instance provides individual control and empowerment.

To be a self-manager of your funding is not the only way that you can gain choice and control in the scheme. Every participant of the NDIS has the choice and control over how their funds are managed, including who provides their supports and how these supports are carried out. This is irrespective of whether or not they choose to self-manage their own funds.

To be flexible in this way is vital especially for those who are not capable of managing their own funds or for those who choose not to. Participants with an intellectual disability or with severe psychosocial disability, for example, may find difficulty in managing the specific duties pertaining to the financial side of their plan. Having your funding managed by agencies such as the Plan Management Agency – not the service provider – is just as important as the choice to self-manage. Moreover, parts of the plan may be managed in different ways based on the needs of the individual.

The NDIS looks to provide social inclusion and this is provided through an insurance scheme, which has as its goal to provide better outcomes for people with disabilities. It is able to provide for insurance instead of welfare. That is, it looks to enhance opportunities instead of looking solely and abstractly at the first hand obvious needs. With such a utilitarian outlook many welfare recipients will be stereotyped.

The NDIS is structured on the insurance model. This is to ensure social programs are met and empowerment is encouraged. This is quite different from the welfare provision model, and in opposition to its short term needs-based structure.

The insurance scheme approach to supporting people is different. Built into its approach is a prudential insurance governance cycle which deals with a set of forecasts of what the NDIS will cost. For this, data will be collected that will validate or change those forecasts.

Presently, there is more data on people with disabilities so they are able to assess their needs better. And so, they will be able to demonstrate the most effective supports for them and will be able to assess if the outcomes differ from expectations resulting from the services provided. They can then make changes accordingly. Insurance schemes are data driven processes. This means that over time it will lead to better, more cost-effective outcomes for people with disabilities and their families.

Welfare schemes aim to minimise costs over very short periods of time whereas insurance schemes minimise costs and maximise opportunities over a person's lifetime and are more aligned to their individual needs. Therefore, NDIS will reap better outcomes as they invest in independence and participation of individuals and the nurturing relationships of their families and loved ones. It also holds out the prospect of the nurturing of these vital relationships by all involved.

In addition to being data driven they invest in research, for example, accident compensation schemes have been researched thoroughly. Insurance companies have been important sources of social change as it gives the wider community the opportunity to pool in their money towards the amelioration of the lifestyle of people with disabilities. And so, this will ultimately lead to greater social outcomes including a reduction in attitudes based on stereotypes.