NDIS and SDA Acronyms, Explained

The NDIS runs on abbreviations. These are the ones families, participants and coordinators meet most often when looking for a home, in plain English.

The NDIS and Who's Who

NDIS: National Disability Insurance Scheme: The national scheme that funds supports for Australians with permanent and significant disability.
NDIA: National Disability Insurance Agency: The government agency that runs the NDIS and approves plans, including SDA funding.
NDIS Commission: NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission: The regulator: it registers NDIS providers, sets the standards they work to, and handles complaints about them.
LAC: Local Area Coordinator: A partner of the NDIA who helps many participants understand, use and review their plan.
SC: Support Coordination, or support coordinator: Funded help to put a plan into action: finding providers, including housing, and keeping everything working together.
SSC: Specialist Support Coordination: Support coordination for more complex situations, from a specialist coordinator.
OT: Occupational therapist: An allied health professional who assesses how someone manages daily life. An OT report is usually part of the evidence for SDA.
PM: Plan manager: An organisation that pays providers from a participant's plan and keeps track of spending.

SDA: Specialist Disability Accommodation: NDIS funding for a home purpose-built for people with extreme functional impairment or very high support needs. It pays for the building, not the support. More
SIL: Supported Independent Living: Funding for support workers who help with daily tasks at home. Separate from SDA. SDA and SIL compared
OOA: Onsite overnight assistance: A room in an SDA home for support staff, so help is there overnight without taking over anyone's private space.
MTA: Medium Term Accommodation: Somewhere to live for a while when a participant's long-term home isn't ready yet, for example while an SDA home is being built or modified.
STA: Short Term Accommodation: A short stay away from home, often called respite.
ILO: Individualised Living Options: Home and living supports designed around one person, often living with a host or housemate rather than in a group setting.
RRC: Reasonable Rent Contribution: The rent an SDA resident pays. It's capped by a formula based on the Disability Support Pension, Pension Supplement and any Rent Assistance.
DSP: Disability Support Pension: The Centrelink payment the Reasonable Rent Contribution is worked out from.
CRA: Commonwealth Rent Assistance: A Centrelink payment towards rent. If you receive it, it counts towards the Reasonable Rent Contribution.

IL: Improved Liveability: Built for people with sensory, intellectual or cognitive impairment: a calmer, clearer home with a reasonable level of physical access.
FA: Fully Accessible: A high level of physical access throughout, for people with significant physical impairment who move independently.
HPS: High Physical Support: The highest level of physical access, for people with the most significant physical and medical support needs: ceiling hoist provision, backup power and more.
Robust: Robust: Built to take heavy use and be hard to damage, for people whose behaviours may cause harm to themselves, others or property. “Super Robust” is our own specification, not an NDIS category.
OOA in a plan: Onsite overnight assistance funding: An SDA plan can include an amount for an OOA room, on top of the home itself.

BSP: Behaviour Support Plan: A plan written by a behaviour support practitioner, setting out how to support someone whose behaviours of concern may cause harm. Often relevant to Robust homes.
AT: Assistive technology: Equipment that helps with daily life, from shower chairs and hoists to communication devices.
Building type: SDA building type: An SDA plan names a building type as well as a design category: an apartment; a villa, duplex or townhouse; a house; or a group home.

Call us or send your plan, and we'll explain it. No question is too basic.