Supporting Queer and Gender-Diverse Participants in the NDIS

At ProCare Solution, we believe inclusion isn’t a policy — it’s a practice.
Every participant deserves to be seen, heard and respected for who they are. That includes our queer, trans and gender-diverse community members, who often face extra barriers accessing support.

On 15 October 2025, our team attended a professional development event led by Storm Hassett from The Identity Clinic, with valuable insights from Plan Partners and Hannah and Ellie from Plan Decoders, along with other industry professionals who shared lived experience and expertise on building safer, more affirming services.

It was an inspiring day that reminded us: Gender-affirming care saves lives.

What Gender-Affirming Care Means

Gender-affirming care is about more than healthcare — it’s the way we design every interaction. It’s respect in language, choice in identity, and safety in service.

For NDIS providers, that means:

• Using each participant’s preferred name and pronouns in all correspondence.

• Ensuring intake forms, CRMs and websites allow open fields for pronouns and gender — no asterisks, no forced categories.

• Including both legal name (for compliance) and preferred name (for daily use).

• Removing outdated Mr/Ms salutation boxes or making them optional.

• Adding pronouns to staff email signatures.

• Acknowledging First Nations custodians in communication and training, recognising that gender and culture intersect in identity.

These simple but powerful changes tell participants, You belong here exactly as you are.

Training Our Team

Our commitment to inclusivity extends to staff training.
We’re ensuring every team member receives LGBTQIA+ awareness and sensitivity education, including:

• Understanding respectful language and pronoun use.

• Recognising the impact of misgendering and assumptions.

• Encouraging open dialogue when mistakes happen — learning, not defensiveness.

• Building onboarding and support processes that celebrate diversity rather than pathologise it.

We’re also developing resources for our Support Coordinators to help them confidently advocate for gender-diverse participants within NDIA frameworks.

Updating Our Digital Spaces

Inclusivity should be visible.
That’s why we’re updating the ProCare Solution website, forms and marketing materials to be explicitly gender-affirming and LGBTQ+ friendly — not just in statement, but in structure.

We encourage other NDIS providers to review their own websites and enrolment forms. Ask yourself:

• Are pronouns and gender identity options inclusive?

• Does your site use gender-neutral language throughout?

• Are queer participants represented in your imagery and stories?

Making these updates helps everyone — participants, staff and partners — feel safer and more respected.

Why It Matters

Research consistently shows that affirming environments improve mental health outcomes and participation for queer and gender-diverse people. Many are still isolated from services that understand them. By fostering belonging, we not only meet our duty of care — we empower individuals to thrive.

At ProCare Solution, we’re proud to be a gender-affirming NDIS provider.

We’ll continue listening, learning, and evolving — because inclusion is never finished; it’s an ongoing practice.

Illustration of a diverse group of people, including queer and gender-diverse individuals, proudly holding rainbow, transgender, and intersex pride flags. One person is using a wheelchair, representing disability inclusion. This image symbolises unity, diversity, and accessibility within the LGBTQIA+ and NDIS community. ProCare Solution is a Registered NDIS Provider who believes in inclusivity.