NDIS eligibility changes risk deepening gendered care inequities in disability support systems
Original framing: “Tightening NDIS eligibility will disproportionately affect women – in more ways than you’d expect” — The Conversation - Global
Research shows that women with disabilities face higher rates of poverty and lower access to healthcare than men. Scientific evidence supports the need for gender-responsive disability policy, yet the NDIS's eligibility criteria do not reflect this evidence in their design.
The tightening of NDIS eligibility criteria reflects a broader failure to recognize the systemic gendered nature of disability care.
By excluding intersectional perspectives, the policy risks deepening inequities for women who are both underrepresented as participants and overrepresented as carers. Indigenous and cross-cultural models of care offer alternative frameworks that prioritize community and relational well-being over individualized support. A gender-responsive policy approach, informed by scientific evidence and marginalised voices, is essential to creating a more just and inclusive disability support system. This requires not only revising eligibility criteria but also rethinking the very foundations of how care is valued and distributed in society.