Your rights as an NDIS participant: choice, control and safety
· Your rights · Source checked 12 October 2026
Knowing what you can expect from providers and workers makes it easier to speak up. Here is a plain-language summary of rights and responsibilities.
Choice and control
You have the right to make decisions about your own life and supports, including which providers to use, what your supports look like day to day and when to change them. Other people can help you decide, but the decisions are yours unless a formal arrangement says otherwise.
You can ask questions, ask for information in a format you can use, and take time to decide before you sign anything.
Respect, privacy and dignity
You should be treated with respect, and your personal information should be kept private and shared only for good reasons and with your consent. That includes what is written in shift notes, shared with other services or passed to someone else in your life.
Safe, competent support
The NDIS Code of Conduct sets expectations for providers and workers, whether or not they are registered. In summary, it asks them to act with respect for your rights, respect your privacy, provide supports safely and competently, act with honesty and transparency, raise and act on concerns about safety and quality, and take steps to prevent and respond to violence, exploitation, neglect, abuse and sexual misconduct.
You should not accept less than that. If a worker or provider falls short, there are ways to raise it, set out in our guide to making a complaint.
What is expected of you
Rights come with some responsibilities. These include giving accurate information, using your funding for the supports it was approved for, keeping records where required, and telling the NDIA about important changes in your circumstances. Check the official page for the current list.
This is general information, not legal advice. If you need help understanding your rights in a particular situation, an independent advocacy service can help.
Putting your rights into practice
Rights are easier to use when you have simple phrases ready. “I would like time to think about that.” “Please put that in writing.” “I would prefer a different worker.” “Please do not share that without asking me.” A good provider will take requests like these in its stride.
Keep a note of anything that concerns you while it is fresh, and tell someone you trust. Speaking up early usually makes it easier to fix.
Frequently asked questions
What rights do I have as an NDIS participant?
You have the right to make decisions about your own life and supports, including which providers to use, what your supports look like day to day and when to change them. You should be treated with respect, and your personal information should be kept private and shared only for good reasons and with your consent.
What does the NDIS Code of Conduct ask of providers and workers?
It applies whether or not they are registered. In summary, it asks them to act with respect for your rights, respect your privacy, provide supports safely and competently, act with honesty and transparency, raise and act on concerns about safety and quality, and take steps to prevent and respond to violence, exploitation, neglect, abuse and sexual misconduct.
What is expected of me as a participant?
Rights come with some responsibilities. These include giving accurate information, using your funding for the supports it was approved for, keeping records where required, and telling the NDIA about important changes in your circumstances. Check the official page for the current list.
Keep learning
- How to change NDIS provider without losing support: You are allowed to change providers. A little planning means the new service is ready before the old one ends, and nothing falls through the gap.
- Making a complaint about an NDIS provider or worker: where to start: Raising a concern can feel daunting. Here is a clear order of steps, who deals with what, and how to keep a record as you go.
- Keeping records of your NDIS supports: a simple system: Good records make plan reviews, claim queries and changes of provider far easier. Here is a light-touch way to keep them.
- Nominees and supporters: helping someone with their NDIS plan: Family and friends often help with the NDIS. Here is the difference between informal support and a formal nominee, and how to keep the person at the centre.
More in our NDIS updates and insights, our step-by-step guides, or the NDIS and aged care provider directory.
Official sources
- NDIS: Your rights and responsibilities
- NDIS: Working with providers
- NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission
Source checked 12 October 2026. Rules and guidance can change; verify current details with the responsible agency. How we write and check our guides.