Disability and the NDIS
The NDIS is how disability support is funded in Australia for people under 65, and it is its own world of language and process — access requests, plans, line items, plan managers. This is that world in plain words, for the person doing the organising.
It is a different door from aged care: under 65 with disability is the NDIS; 65 and over is My Aged Care. If you are not sure which applies, start with the one that fits the age.
What the NDIS actually is
A national scheme that funds supports for people with a permanent and significant disability — help with daily life, getting out, therapy, equipment, and building the skills to be more independent. It is not means-tested; it is based on disability and need.
It is run by the NDIA, and the number to start anything is 1800 800 110. The current detail lives at ndis.gov.au, and it does change — so treat this as the map, not the rulebook.
The shape of it, start to finish
You check eligibility and make an access request. If you are in, you get a plan — a budget of funded supports, grouped into categories. You then use that plan: find providers, book supports, and, depending on how the plan is managed, pay for them or have someone pay for them.
Each of those steps has its own page below. The one thing that stays true throughout: nobody expects you to know the words. Ask for what you need in plain terms and let the NDIA or a partner translate it.
What AskFam does and does not do
AskFam works out what you need and points you at services that already exist. It does not employ anyone, does not arrange the work, and takes no fee or commission — from you or from them.
It also has not checked anybody. Where you see a business listed, that is a public listing, not a recommendation. Where somebody offers on a job you posted, that is them describing themselves, in their own words. Ask for what matters to you, and take your time about it.