Choosing an NDIS provider: what expertise should mean
What makes an expert?
By Tristram Peters · Originally published 3 March 2021
Original article
Tristram Peters is a writer, editor, and disability advocate with a keen passion for sport. Lately, he’s been deep diving into what makes a provider an expert, as part of Clickability’s Information Linkages and Capacity Building (ILC) grant.
As a disabled person, you don’t want to start a service, only to spend time explaining your disability; you want a provider with disability-specific expertise. If your disability intersects with your culture, gender or sexuality, you don’t want to be explaining that either; you want a provider that knows it and gets it. But how can you tell if a provider is an expert when it comes to your disability?
The answer: get participants to endorse providers who they know are experts, then show these endorsements on www.clickability.com.au. The best thing? We've already released the features that let you endorse your own providers! Yep, you can jump on a profile right now, endorse your provider, and share your insights. This endorsement is then displayed on that provider's profile.
We've done a lot of work to get to this point, including interviewing participants and chatting to peak bodies. This research has helped us know what matters most to you and what a provider needs to do to be considered an expert. We want to share this research with you, so you can confidently endorse your provider - and choose your own expert provider if needed! Think of this as a power guide on disability expertise and what your provider needs to do to achieve it.
What did we do?
We looked at what ‘expertise’ means for six types of disability: acquired brain injury (ABI), blindness or vision impairment, deafness or hearing impairment, autism, intellectual disability, and psychosocial disability. We also looked at three ‘cohort’ groups: Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD), Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (ATSI), and LGBTIQ+.
We combed through policies, completed training programs, and interviewed people with lived experience to gain insight from the people who matter most: the people who use those services. They set the criteria for what makes a provider an expert.
What did we find?
No matter who we interviewed, almost everyone said that a good provider makes them feels ‘safe’ and ‘supported’. But a provider with disability-specific expertise goes one step further and makes a participant feel safe and supported by understanding their disability and their specific needs…
Acquired Brain Injury
Participants said that ABI impacts everyone differently. For example, one person might have issues walking, while another might not. Participants also said that their disability can potentially ‘improve’ during rehabilitation, meaning the support they need one year differs from the next. Simply, their disability is always unique and is always changing.
Because of this, an expert provider will always tailor their support to your unique needs. They will enquire about the supports you currently need – and follow-up at least twice a year to see if anything has changed or allow you an easy way to let them know if something has.
Despite these differences, participants agreed that communication is key. They valued providers who provided information and sent reminders prior to meetings. A participant said, ‘I feel what I want, but I might not know what I want,’ and wanted lots of detail to help inform their decisions.
An expert provider will send you written information and reminders (if requested) prior to any meeting. They will ensure all information is easily accessible and easy-to-read yet detailed with links to additional resources. They summarise everything simply and plainly.
Another participant also spoke about the desire for people with ABI to be employed or consulted by a provider when making policy decisions. They also want to be included and engaged wherever possible, to provide feedback. Live experience is vital.
A provider seeks the input of people with lived experience of ABI and has an easy way for you to provide feedback – and acts on that feedback in a quick, respectful way.
Sensory Impairment
Sensory impairment is a board term – and we respect and understand the differences between being blind and deaf, or between being hearing impaired and vision impaired. But the more we spoke to participants with these disabilities, the more we realised that technology is the common barrier to accessibility and that the challenges were similar.
A provider with expertise has a website that meets WCAG 2 AA standards and ensures all content is accessible. This includes captioning media, providing transcripts, adding alt-text to images, and offering documents in text or html to ease screen readers.
[Clickability update, October 2026: The original refers to the standard discussed at publication. W3C published WCAG 2.2 as a Recommendation in 2023. Check current accessibility requirements and actual usability rather than treating a stated standard as proof.]
Another participant also flagged the need for accessible, real-time communication, so that participants can contact providers in the event of an emergency.
As a result, an expert provider has real-time texting, emailing or phone system that’s always monitored, so that you can get support immediately. These systems are easily accessible.
As with people with ABI, people with sensory impairment also spoke about the desire to be included and engaged in improving the quality of the service. They want someone with lived experience in the driver’s seat of an organisation.
A provider seeks the input of people with lived experience and has an easy way for you to provide feedback – and acts on that feedback in a quick, respectful way. If someone is teaching you how to use a specific platform, they too should have the same disability as you.
Autism
Like ABI, autistic people have vastly different experiences to their peers, so a provider needs to be flexible and supportive in its approach. One participant might want support finding employment, while the other might want support accessing the community.
An expert provider respects diversity and offers flexibility with its service. They’ll talk to you directly about your goals and tailor its supports as a result. They’ll ask about what skills you wish to develop but will always focus on your strengths.
Our research also explored what helped participants feel safe. This included autism-friendly environments that helped prevent sensory overload and a forum to participants to give feedback.
Are you able to give feedback? Do you feel like you’re listened to when you do? An expert provider does these things well. They also have environments where you can go and relax.
One of the participants said that they don’t want workers who have never worked with autistic people previously. They said it’s tiring and they don’t fell as well supported.
Ask the provider if workers have completed autism-specific training – including Autism Spectrum workshops. Also ask what their previous experience is and if they’ve consulted with peak bodies.
Intellectual disability
One of the biggest concerns that participants raised was around minimising change. This included a low turnover rate of staff and change management policies to assist during any transitional periods.
Does the provider have a low turnover rate? Can you ask what it is? Anything less than 5% is good. If there is change (and let’s be honest, this definitely happens), do they have policies in place to let you know what’s happening? These policies need to make you feel safe and respected.
[Clickability update, October 2026: The turnover figure is an interview preference, not a verified sector benchmark or evidence that a service is safe. Ask about continuity, staff skills and how concerns are handled.]
This also points to another important thing: good communication. For people with intellectual disabilities, providers can do a number of things to improve how easily participants can access information.
Expert providers offer ‘Easy Read’ documents, which means documents have size 14 font, 1.5 line spacing, and headings to signpost essential points. Simply, you can check if there website is easy to understand and get around.
[Clickability update, October 2026: Formatting alone is insufficient. Australian Government Easy Read guidance includes involving the intended users in writing, design and testing.]
Lastly, participants spoke about the freedom to choose what supports they wanted and when they wanted them, rather than being forced into a program. Everyone wants choice – that’s what the NDIS is all about – and a provider should offer this.
An expert provider has many different programs available for you to choose from, whether it’s 1-to-1 or group-based. You feel listened to, because a provider helps you achieve what you want to.
Psychosocial disability
Our interviews revealed that participants believe providers with expertise with psychosocial disability are well connected with the local community, including community groups, churches, sporting clubs and more. These providers ensure their programs use these connections, offering participants meaningful activity that suit.
An expert provider allows you to access programs that reflect your interests and skills. They connect you with community groups that help you achieve your goals.
A participant’s brother described a good provider: “They addressed my brother, the person for whom the service was for. They made him feel at ease.” This respect is vital and demonstrations an inclusive organisation.
When talking to a provider, you should feel like they are listening to you and allowing you to make decisions about your life. Do they give you options? Do they address you?
Participants also discussed the desire to provide feedback and receive peer mentoring. This builds a strong community, led by peopled with lived experience.
You should be able to provide feedback easily and safely and have it acted upon. Does the provide regularly request your input? You should also be able to connect with peers through the organisation.
What’s next?
This is only the first part! Next week, we’ll unpack people whose disabilities intersect with their culture, gender or sexuality, and explore what an expert provider looks like in these spaces. In the meantime, if you want to endorse a provider, head to www.clickability.com.au, find your provider, and click that 'Endorse this service' button.
Clickability editorial update: October 2026
Use the interviews to build your own provider questions
Start with the support you need in daily life. Ask who will deliver it, what experience they have with those tasks and how they will adapt communication to you. A provider may know a diagnosis well and still need to learn your preferences. You can ask for information in a format you can use before making a decision.
When comparing support work services, ask what happens if your usual worker is absent and how a change is discussed with you. Agree the response process for urgent concerns. Use NDIA provider-selection guidance alongside these personal interview findings.
Show expertise through a specific response to the person
Explain what your team can do, who supervises the work and where your experience has limits. Give a clear example of how a participant’s preference changes service delivery without disclosing another person’s private information. Avoid presenting a staff statistic, badge or diagnosis-specific claim as a complete quality assessment.
Ask people whether your information is usable. Easy Read guidance supports involving intended readers, while Commission rights and responsibilities standards provide context for respectful support. Describe actual contact arrangements, including after-hours limits, rather than promising an instant response that the service cannot deliver.
Questions readers ask
Does low staff turnover prove service quality?
No. Ask about skills, continuity, communication and handling concerns.
Is Easy Read just larger text?
No. Its content, layout and testing with intended readers matter. Official guidance
Find a provider whose experience fits your support
Tell Clickability what assistance and communication work for you. Compare reviewed and rated providers, then ask the questions that matter to your daily life.
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