What List A is for
To join the NDIS on disability grounds, you must show your impairment is permanent, substantially reduces your functional capacity, affects your participation and means you will likely need lifelong support. For some conditions those things are almost always true.
The NDIA groups those conditions in List A, part of its operational guidelines. When a List A diagnosis is confirmed, the NDIA usually accepts you meet the disability requirements without asking for a detailed functional assessment. It saves time, cost and stress at the application stage.
Conditions on List A
The list is detailed and each condition has to be diagnosed and assessed to a set level. The main groups are:
- Intellectual disability diagnosed and assessed as moderate, severe or profound
- Autism diagnosed and assessed as level 2 or level 3 under the current DSM criteria
- Cerebral palsy assessed at level 3, 4 or 5 on the Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS)
- Certain genetic conditions that consistently cause permanent and severe intellectual and physical impairment, such as Angelman syndrome, Rett syndrome, Cri du Chat syndrome and Cornelia de Lange syndrome
- Spinal cord or brain injury causing paraplegia, tetraplegia, quadriplegia or hemiplegia
- Permanent blindness in both eyes, assessed by an ophthalmologist against set vision criteria
- Permanent hearing loss in both ears of more than 90 decibels in the better ear
- Deafblindness confirmed by an ophthalmologist and an audiologist
- Amputation or congenital absence of two limbs
The evidence you still need
List A removes the need to prove functional impact, but you still need proof of the diagnosis and its level. The NDIA looks for evidence from an appropriate treating professional that confirms:
- The diagnosis itself, and who made it
- The severity or level, for example the autism level, the GMFCS level or the hearing test results
- That it is current and relevant to how you are now
What List A does not do
A List A condition is not an automatic pass into the NDIS. You must still be under 65 when you apply, live in Australia, and be an Australian citizen, permanent visa holder or protected special category visa holder.
List A also says nothing about how much funding you get. Your plan is still built from your goals and support needs, so reports describing your daily life remain important once you are in.
If your condition is not on List A
Plenty of NDIS participants have conditions that are not on List A. If your condition is on List B, the NDIA accepts it is permanent but needs evidence of how it affects your functioning. If it is on neither list, you can still apply. You just need evidence covering each of the disability requirements.
Autism at level 1 is a common example. It is not on List A, but people with level 1 autism can still meet the requirements if their evidence shows a substantial reduction in functional capacity.
Changes coming in 2028
From 1 January 2028 access will be based on a standardised assessment of functional capacity, and children 8 and under with developmental delay or autism and low to moderate support needs who apply from then will be supported by Thriving Kids. How the condition lists will work under the new rules has not been finalised, so check the NDIA's guidelines closer to the time.