3 days ago
NDIS changes leave immobilised clients without underwater scuba therapy
Aisla Dehe has had multiple sclerosis (MS) for 25 years and the progression of the disease has left her unable to stand or walk.
The only time she can move is underwater.
"I'm finally free [underwater]. I can run, jump, lift weights," she said.
"It helps with stiffness in my muscles and manages my pain."
Every week Ms Dehe attends Scuba Gym, a specialised underwater therapy program on the New South Wales Central Coast for people with disabilities.
Clients, aided by divers, do strength and balance training, including the use of weights and underwater parachutes.
Under regulations announced in late 2024, Scuba Gym is no longer included in the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) support list which dictate what recipients can choose to spend their allocated funding on.
There are more than 37 categories in the NDIS supports list including "exercise physiology and personal wellbeing activities".
Clients of the specialised underwater therapy program were previously able to access NDIS funding through the section referred to as "Other".
Ms Dehe said she was "absolutely devastated" that Scuba Gym was not accepted into a bracket.
Scuba Gym owner and experienced diver Lyndi Leggett said the changes to the scheme have made it "extremely confusing" for her and the broader community of people with disabilities.
"It's really perplexing and hard to navigate," she said.
"Even though we have provided numerous testimonials and shown [the NDIS] our evidence that our clients truly benefit from the service, it's not being recognised.
In a statement the NDIS said Scuba Gym does not meet the criteria for its therapy supports which must be evidence-based and delivered by an allied health professional.
For the NDIS to fund it needs to demonstrate that the therapy will provide a disability-related functional outcome.
Lynne Smith has had MS for more than 37 years and never touched a wetsuit before joining the program.
She said that in the year she has been a Scuba Gym client she has already seen immense physical results.
"I felt like I was wearing gloves and socks my whole life because I just had no feeling," Ms Smith said.
"[But] this program has made a world of difference for me.
"All the movement that I do underwater has translated to my life on land and drastically improved my wellbeing."
Ms Smith said she fears for how her and other clients' conditions will fare if they can no longer get the funds to access the underwater therapy service.
Professor Chris Grainage from the University of Newcastle spent almost 20 years in the Royal Navy, training in underwater and diving medicine, and afterwards in respiratory medicine.
He said despite limited research on the benefits of scuba diving there were advantages for cardiovascular health and muscular resistance training.
"Like with any form of physical activity it has its health benefits, especially for people who are limited in their physical abilities," he said.
"There has been research on injured ex-service personnel before and after scuba diving exercises and [they] certainly improved.
"It noted benefits including mindfulness, focusing on one task at hand, and that being part of social groups enhances people's mental and physical health."
Ms Leggett and her team said they would continue to advocate for their program to be included under the scheme.
"We will keep lobbying. I think it's hard to be considered because it's a new therapy and we're doing things that a lot of other therapy services aren't," she said.
