Experiences of emerging adults with disability in relation to the National Disability Insurance Scheme : perceptions of emerging adults and their families/carers

Introduction: Emerging adulthood is a period of development between the ages of 18 and 29. This important life-stage is marked by identity exploration, possibilities, selffocus, instability, and feeling in-between adolescence and adulthood. Emerging adults living with disability have similar goals to peers without disability, yet experience many barriers to participation and inclusion. The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) represents a vast change to service delivery in Australia. It hopes to address these barriers to facilitate people with disability being able to live an ordinary life and participate socially and economically. Despite the reform's magnitude and complexity, there is a dearth of research examining challenges and opportunities presented by the NDIS for emerging adults. It is critical that such research includes firsthand perspectives of people with disabilities and families/carers. Objectives: This research explores experiences of emerging adults with disabilities aged 18-29 in New South Wales in relation to the NDIS, from the perspectives of emerging adults and their families/carers. It also explores social, educational, and employment experiences and goals of emerging adults with disability, and perspectives around the role and outcomes of the NDIS in supporting goal attainment. Method: This research takes a mixed-methods approach, combining in-depth qualitative interviews with emerging adults with disabilities, and electronic surveys of emerging adults and their families/carers. Surveys include a mix of closed and openended questions. Data analysis techniques utilised are qualitative narrative analysis, along with quantitative descriptive statistics. Results: Preliminary findings of this research will be presented, along with practice implications for occupational therapists, other health professionals and service providers. Policy, education and research implications will be highlighted. Conclusion: This research will inform future development of the NDIS in relation to how it can best meet the needs of emerging adults, based on the first-hand experiences of those living with disabilities.