NDIS participants, the wider disability community, families and allies rallied across Australia in six locations on Saturday 1 August, warning that the National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026 (the NDIS Bill) will strip away essential supports and that people with disability will die.
Close to 800 people in person and online joined in every state across Australia for the National Day of Action on Saturday 1 August 2026 to fight back against the NDIS cuts and demand the NDIS Bill be scrapped. You can find photos from the 1 August 2026 actions separated by location at this public folder here.
The rallies were part of a national day of action organised by the Protect Our NDIS Alliance, ahead of the upcoming Senate vote on the NDIS Bill scheduled for Friday 14 August 2026.
Nearly 90 organisations nationwide, including People with Disability Australia, the national peak body for the disability community, and Professionals Australia, a national union representing workers and professionals including those providing NDIS funded supports, endorsed the demands to scrap the NDIS Bill.
The Labor Government is proposing changes that will cut essential supports, with participants warning the consequences will be immediate and harmful.
These changes are expected to have a direct impact on daily life, making it harder for people with disability to get out of bed, attend appointments, stay connected to community and work and live independently.
National Spokesperson for the Protect Our NDIS Alliance, Oriela Williams, who also addressed the crowd at the Brisbane rally on Saturday 1 August 2026, explains:
“I'm someone with very high support needs physically. I'm someone that uses a hoist transfer and requires two assists of caregivers daily. The NDIA has currently declined my permanent power wheelchair application that I need to function, and expects me to go back to a manual wheelchair that I cannot physically propel, due to having only primary function in my right dominant arm. We are already experiencing what this Bill would do to disabled people. I invite Disability Minister Mark Butler to spend a day in my shoes. I invite him to spend a day experiencing what it is like to be a disabled person and an NDIS participant.”
Rallies took place across the country, including in Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne and Perth as participants called for the NDIS Bill to be scrapped before the Senate vote on 14 August 2026.
Alexandra Ellen, disabled artist and advocate, speaking at the Brisbane rally on Saturday 1 August, said:
“For those who just care about the bottom line, the NDIS is an investment. For every $1 put into the NDIS, $2.25 goes back into the economy. It lightens the load on our public hospital system, and it employs thousands of workers around the nation.”
Oriela says:
“Labor will have you believe that cutting costs will reform the NDIS. However, this Bill does not tackle fraud and current estimates in the published FOI suggest around 241,000 disabled people will be removed from the NDIS, with another 106,000 disabled people to be refused access.
"Everyone needs to understand how harmful this NDIS bill is, and not just the real tangible impacts this bill will have on our daily lives as disabled people, but how this will not just impact us, but also the economy, jobs/employment, for all the workers who rely on these jobs. If we lose skilled workers from the scheme it will not be able to function.”
Participants say the NDIS enables people to live independently while reducing pressure on families, hospitals and crisis services.
Oriela points out that:
“You need to collaboratively work with states and territories — if this Bill passes, many disabled people will end up in hospital. The healthcare sector is not prepared for disabled people having to board in hospitals because our NDIS funding has been cut. The states and territory disability ministers submitted evidence to the Senate Inquiry that they cannot meet this need.
"If the government taxed gas corporations at a minimum of 25 per cent the government would save more money in 4 years than if they went ahead with the cuts to the NDIS, which is also the biggest cut to any social service ever in this country. We are calling for the government to tax gas exports, not cut the NDIS!”
The Protect Our NDIS Alliance is a grassroots alliance of disabled people and allies committed to protecting the scheme.
This is the second National Day of Action against the NDIS cuts organised by the Protect Our NDIS Alliance this year. The first took place on Saturday 9 May 2026 at 10 locations in every state and territory with 1000s of people nationwide opposing the NDIS cuts, and 60 organisations endorsing the demands. You can find photos from the 9 May 2026 actions separated by location at this public folder here.
ENDS
VISION / MEDIA OPPORTUNITIES:
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Photos and videos of participants, speakers and families attending across Australia on Saturday 1 August
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Signs and visual protest action
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Interview opportunities with disabled organisers and speakers
FOR UP TO DATE INFO:
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Photos have been uploaded from events on Saturday 1 August into this folder
National Media contact:
Protect Our NDIS Alliance
[email protected]
Contact Oriela Williams for national interview opportunities
(AEST): 0434 237 606
Oriela (they/them) is a co-organiser with the Protect Our NDIS Alliance National and Magan-djin team. They are a proudly Disabled Lebanese Non-Binary Dyke based in Magan-djin/Meanjin/Brisbane. Oriela has lived experience as an NDIS participant themselves, with high physical disability and psychosocial support needs; being a full time power wheelchair user with daily caregivers and is living in a Specialist Disability Accommodation / Supported Independent Living (SDA/SIL) environment.
As well as being a dedicated community organiser and activist; Oriela is a passionate disability justice advocate, lived/living experience peer worker and trained Alt2su facilitator with a focus on anti-carceral, peer-lead and trauma-informed responses to distress.
Forward local media questions and request for interviews to:
Sydney/Gadigal (AEST):
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Kayla Hill
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0422 568 604
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Brisbane/Magan-djin/Meanjin (AEST)
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Oriela Williams
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0434 237 606
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Melbourne/Naarm (AEST):
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Farida Iqbal
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0412 109 160
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Mike/Macca
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0439 839 059 - SMS Only
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Cyprus Henderson
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0449 580 467
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Boorloo/Perth (AWST)
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Sophie Greer
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0423 766 742
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Hobart/nipaluna (AEST)
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Nicole Moran
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0437 637 749
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Kaurna Country/Adelaide (ACST)
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Markela Panegyres
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0404 126 154
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Contact details:
Oriela Williams: [email protected], 0434 237 606
