In alignment with AUSactive’s commitment to advocating for inclusive health and wellbeing for people with a disability, we are calling on our members and the broader community to respond to the Australian Department of Social Services (DSS) survey regarding the draft list of NDIS supports. The survey, accessible here, closes on Sunday, 18 August, and represents a critical opportunity to voice the value that yoga therapy brings to people with a disability. Yoga therapy has been categorised as “Not value for money/not effective or beneficial” in the current draft—a decision that AUSactive strongly opposes. Research highlights the benefits of yoga therapy in supporting the physical and mental well-being of individuals with disabilities. This practice is not merely physical, it also addresses the psychological challenges faced by this community, including the management of anxiety, which disproportionately affects people with a disability.
By voicing collective support for the inclusion of yoga therapy under the NDIS, we can help ensure that it becomes a recognised and funded support. This will lead to an enhanced quality of life for NDIS participants and contribute to a more cost-effective health and disability support system overall.
In support of this cause, Barrie has also written to the Hon. Bill Shorten, Minister for the NDIS, to express our concerns and advocate for the inclusion of yoga therapy in the NDIS support list.
