Disability support services: services provided under the National Disability Agreement 2015–16
In 2015–16, an estimated 332,000 people used disability support services under the National Disability Agreement (NDA), including around 3,500 who transitioned to the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) during the year. The average age of service users was 35, and around three-quarters (72%) were aged under 50. Forty-three per cent of service users had an intellectual or learning disability, 42% had a physical or diverse disability, 29% had a psychiatric disability, and 18% had a speech or sensory difficulty. Almost one-third (30%) of service users aged 15 and over were not in the labour force. Of those in the labour force, two-thirds (67%) were unemployed. Two-thirds of service users had an informal carer, most often their mother (73%). Around one in eight (12%) service users had an informal carer who was aged 65 and over.