Access to information on disability under threat

Accessing quality impartial information on disability matters is the specialty of IDEAS but a funding shortfall puts this valuable service at risk.

An information service helping hundreds of thousands of people with disability in New South Wales is set to close unless it receives an urgent, last-minute funding boost from the state government.

IDEAS is one of Australia’s longest established independent information providers for people with disability, and offers a free phone service for those needing help with things like transport, school, or the National Disability Insurance Scheme.

While the NSW government has provided some funding to cover the organisation’s advocacy work, it will not commit to funding information services ­– leaving the future of its signature phone service in limbo.

IDEAS connected with more than 700,000 people needing information last year, but is currently relying on NDIS Information Linkages and Capacity Building (ILC) funding that finishes in July.

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