‘Faceless monster, secret society’: Women's experiences navigating the administrative burden of Australia's National Disability Insurance Scheme

Abstract

Previous research has indicated that administrative burdens are particularly high in personalised funding schemes such as the Australian National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), because these schemes are predicated on very high levels of self-advocacy. Administrative burdens tend to be inequitably distributed, thereby entrenching existing social inequalities. This is the first study to look at the lived experiences of administrative burden within the NDIS explicitly-and particularly those of women, who are underrepresented within the scheme. The research involved qualitative interviews with 30 women with disability who were either NDIS participants or had considered applying for the NDIS. We argue that like other marginalised groups, women with disability are experiencing significant administrative burdens within the NDIS, which are barriers to obtaining sufficient disability support. Based on this finding, we recommend the NDIS implement a gender strategy, as well as address burdensome administrative processes in general.