A quick email I wrote to the Technical Advisory Group after seeing this press release.
The TAG secretariat is available at: TAGSecretariat@health.gov.au
Good afternoon Technical Advisory Group,
I was pleased to see the press release on July 9th regarding the inaugural meeting of the TAG on NDIS Functional Capacity.
I am further pleased to see an acknowledgement of the need to create equitable access to the NDIS.
In the spirit of that need, I am writing to ask the TAG what their plans are to address Post Exertional Malaise (PEM) with regards to functional capacity. PEM is not something observable in a brief assessment session (such as the types proposed for NDIS assessments) but is a very debilitating aspect of living with ME/CFS.
I would be pleased to hear what the group is planning to do to ensure inclusion of this risky and disabling symptom in the future.
Update:
Got a bunch of nothing as a reply. You could read this as “Yes PEM is included as we know it exists” or “Fuck PEM we only do evidence here”. Typical nothing.
Thank you for your interest in the Technical Advisory Group on NDIS Functional Capacity (TAG).
The TAG will provide independent, evidence-based advice to government on how functional capacity should be assessed for the purposes of determining NDIS eligibility.
This will include advice on appropriate assessment approaches, tools, evidence requirements and threshold options.
You can stay up to date with the TAG’s work as advice is developed by visiting the department’s website.
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