The NDIS is helping people with cerebral palsy lead more independent lives, according to a new report. There are 34,000 Australians with cerebral palsy and 17,334 are active NDIS participants.
The scheme has assisted 52 per cent of participants aged 15 years to become more involved in a community, cultural or religious group in the last 12 months, while 73 per cent of family/carers of school children with cerebral palsy up to 14 years of age, believe their child had become more independent.
According to the 2023 Australian Cerebral Palsy Register (ACPR) Report, Australia has the lowest rate of cerebral palsy at birth in the world, and the rate of cerebral palsy has fallen 40 per cent to one in 700 children in 2023 from one in 400 two decades ago.
The ACPR was established in 2008 and is the largest database of its kind in the world. Research and academic institutes, state health departments and health networks support the register, with Cerebral Palsy Alliance and The University of Sydney serving as the coordinating institutions.
The ACPR report can be found here: https://cerebralpalsy.org.au/our-research/get-involved-research/cp-register/