Diversified Rehab

16/09/2026

Can you explain to someone what Occupational Therapy is about ? … probably not that easy to do even for an OT, that is why OT week is so important so we can help teach the community and our colleagues what is the life changing work OTs do

16/09/2026

Now if only the NDIS were to create a consistent template for OT’s to write the NDIS required FCA’s we may have a lot more consistency and improved outcomes … oh and read the recommendations . Is that asking to much ?

NDIS functional capacity definition has changed: What You Need To Know!

The amended NDIS legislation introduced a new statutory definition of functional capacity, which came into effect on 27 August 2026.

Under the amendments to the NDIS Act, A person’s functional capacity in relation to any activity is defined as the person’s ability to undertake the activity without the assistance from other people or assistive technology equipment, or only with:

i. "The assistance from assistive technology or modifications that are commonly used by a person to undertake that activity;
ii. If the person is a child, the child undertakes the activity with assistance from other people that is appropriate to the child’s age; and
iii. The person’s environmental and personal circumstances is excluded when considering their ability to undertake an activity."

Functional capacity remains central to NDIS access. Under the amended s24, a person must have substantially reduced functional capacity in at least one of six functional domains (called 'activities' in the legislation): communication, social interaction, learning, mobility, self-care or self-management.

Importantly, the legislation now requires the relevant activity to be considered “as a whole.”

This is an important distinction. Functional capacity should not be understood solely by asking whether a person can complete one particular task within an activity. The assessment needs to consider the person's capacity across the relevant activity as a whole.

For OTs, this has implications for how functional evidence is documented. Reports should clearly describe the functional impact of disability across the relevant activity, including the person's abilities, limitations and support requirements, rather than relying on isolated examples of task performance.

There is still uncertainty about how the NDIA will operationalise the new definition and apply the “whole of activity” requirement in access decision-making.

For now, the key point is that functional evidence submitted to the NDIA should reflect the amended legislative definition and the new requirement to consider the relevant activity as a whole.

This is an important change in the functional construct underpinning NDIS access - and one OTs need to understand as we prepare functional evidence for our clients.

Links in comments

03/09/2026

We like medals!! Especially from world marathon majors !!

Mic finished the Sydney marathon on Sunday running as a man with no vision (living with retinitis pigmentosa) and with the support of his guide Colin from Achilles Melbourne.

The remarkable consideration here is running with no vision for 4.5 hours is extremely difficult as you are consistently listening to instructions, being bumped into , unsure of upcoming terrain . Likewise being the guide is not much easier as you need to keep your blind runner safe, keep reporting on what to expect, offer safe navigation, be the pep up person even if you are failing … yes it’s a long way with a lot of time on the road and a lot of things can go wrong.

However we love running as it’s free, accessible, cans create social networks, and fun (not a typo)! Most people can engage even if it’s walking or walk-jog, jog-walk, jog or run … whichever combo suits you as there is no rule book , just you doing and getting the job done. Mic started this marathon journey back in 2019 as we had a stern evaluation of where life was heading and potential active life and living goals to pursue that offered challenge and inspiration… and here we are , Mic has now run 6 of the top 8 world marathons and will complete the 8 next year in Boston and Cape Town.

Check out local running groups near you , inform them of what disability you may have and you may be surprised at the free help on offer or start asking questions to your OT

02/09/2026

When you think you can’t , but you probably can !
Excellent inspirational story of a legally blind brewer in Brisbane creating his own employment and selling remarkable canned b**r doing what he loves !

26/08/2026

No excuses … fold it up, pack it up, off you go o. That next adventure !! Super light weight 13kg frame including batteries that do not need to be removed :)

26/08/2026

When you get to have some fun with light weight portable scooters with the purpose to help someone get from the train to the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) , but thorough country testing requires all terrains to be assessed 🙂
Super light weight Royale folding scooter, carbon fibre, 13kg total, folds without dissembling any component and can easily fit on the back seat of a car 👍
WeCare Mobility Deer Park

12/08/2026

This sounds like some fun research for our low vision and blind clients

We are looking for people who are blind or low vision who would be open to sharing their own experiences with the accessibility of household appliances.

If this is something you would be interested in talking about, please contact [email protected].

08/08/2026

Any of our Parkinson’s clients needing an excuse to visit England next year ?? This could be the arm twist you need !!
Parkinson's UK do an amazing job and will no doubt be an incredible learning and networking experience

08/08/2026

If you are involved in the NDIS in any way this article is relevant .
The NDIS wants to save money. The easy target is the participant unfortunately not:
Addressing expensive NDIS legal fees
Not investigating fraud fast enough
Not stopping banned businesses from returning under a new ABN
Lazy companies that do the bear minimum but charge every minute
Why ask for reports and documents from therapists that take hours to write if they will not be read by the NDIS ?

Yes savings must be made as there are many unethical providers joining the scheme to find easy targets and easy money. But again and again it is the participants that receive the penalty for the NDIS allowing bad businesses into this space .

Choose your providers carefully and expect the best from them . Ask questions about expectations and behaviours to others if unsure what is appropriate billing or activities. Ask yourself are you getting value for money that help you accomplish your goals . Asking questions empowers the participant while keeping providers accountable. Ask how long the business has been in operation and the experience of its staff. Negotiate on hours and days, some businesses prefer to work Sundays and public holidays to charge penalty rates that can be easily avoided by waiting for a standard Monday - Friday shift .

Meanwhile , why doesn’t the government charge the appropriate tax on gas exports that would pay for healthcare ? The easy targets is health and the NDIS participants in summary. Keep educated on the developments and if needed ask questions to your local MP on how these changes may impact you.

One thing we do know, change is coming , and NDIS love changes

A Senate inquiry into the proposed NDIS shake-up was told the government must stamp out rorting, while avoiding cuts that could put participants in unsafe environments and cause carers to burn out. Here are the key takeaways from the six days of hearings.

07/08/2026

Can you juggle ?
We use a variety of fun circus skills as one of our options in our visual perceptual and cortical vision loss therapies to help develop scanning, visual endurance, motor coordination, tracking and reactions.

Life can serve unexpected lifestyle changes , as therapists we need to remember how this impacts the person , be active encouragement , and keep therapy fun! Not fun usually means homework not completed and no development in skills