Barrett and National Disability Insurance Agency

This matter concerned an application for review of a decision made by the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) regarding Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) for the Applicant. The Applicant, through his mother, sought funding for SDA Robust, contending it was necessary to accommodate his behaviours, plan for his aging, and address his progressive vision loss. The NDIA had previously approved SDA Improved Liveability.

The Tribunal was required to determine whether the requested design category of SDA Robust was a reasonable and necessary support under section 34(1) of the *National Disability Insurance Scheme Act 2013* (Cth). This involved assessing whether the proposed support met the criteria of being required for the participant, being a reasonable and necessary support, and representing value for money, considering the benefits achieved and the costs of alternative supports.

The Tribunal considered the evidence presented, including the Applicant’s mother’s submissions regarding the need for features such as soundproofing and resilient materials to manage behaviours and accommodate aging. However, the Tribunal found that while SDA Robust offers a high level of physical access, the Applicant, being visually impaired but physically active, did not demonstrate a need for the specific physical access provisions of SDA Robust that were not already met by SDA Improved Liveability. The Tribunal also noted that certain requested features, such as personal alarms, fell under assistive technology, which was already budgeted for. Ultimately, the Tribunal was not satisfied that SDA Robust represented value for money for the Applicant, as the benefits did not outweigh the costs compared to alternative supports.

The reviewable decision was varied to include funding for Specialist Disability Accommodation in accordance with section 15 of the *National Disability Insurance Scheme (Specialist Disability Accommodation) Rules 2020* (Cth) as a reasonable and necessary support. The approved SDA features included a new build house for two residents, with the design category of Improved Liveability, including sprinklers, and specified locations in NSW.