Why NDIS Participants Need Smart Devices: Because Government Security Mandates Require It

When applying for NDIS funding, it’s important to demonstrate how a support is both reasonable and necessary in helping a participant achieve their goals.

But in the case of smart devices like smartphones or tablets, there’s now an even stronger justification:

The Australian Government requires secure digital access—particularly Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)—to use essential services.

https://my.gov.au/en/about/privacy-and-security/security/how-we-protect-your-mygov-account?utm

This is no longer optional. Without access to a capable device, many NDIS participants are effectively locked out of healthcare, financial, and government systems that they legally need to engage with.

🔐 Government-Mandated Digital Security Is Not Optional

To access services like:

• myGov – for Centrelink, Medicare, the ATO, and NDIS plans

• My Health Record – for health data and telehealth access

• myGovID – digital identity app used for secure access

• NDIS MyPlace Portal – to manage NDIS funds, plans, and provider claims

• [Banks and healthcare apps] – increasingly rely on SMS or app-based 2FA

Users are required to complete Two-Factor Authentication (2FA), which typically involves:

• A smartphone that can receive SMS codes

• Or a device that can run apps like Google Authenticator or myGovID

• And sometimes both

💡 2FA is a mandatory government security protocol for protecting sensitive information and complying with privacy and data standards.

📱 Why This Makes a Smart Device “Reasonable and Necessary”

For people without disability, this shift to digital is a routine update. But for NDIS participants with cognitive impairments, anxiety, or physical limitations, the requirement to navigate these systems without appropriate tech creates significant, disability-related barriers.

Without a device, participants:

• Cannot log in to myGov to manage Centrelink, Medicare, or the NDIS portal

• May miss telehealth appointments or health updates

• May be unable to participate in digital identity checks or banking tasks

• Are forced to rely on others, compromising independence and privacy

Providing a smart device directly supports:

• Access to essential government services

• Compliance with digital security standards

• Personal safety, privacy, and dignity

• Participant goals like independence and skill-building

👩‍🦽 A Disability Turns a Mainstream Device into Assistive Tech

In this context, a smartphone is not a luxury—it is:

Assistive technology that enables equitable access to systems everyone else can use freely.

Participants with disabilities may be unable to use:

• Public or shared devices (due to cognitive, sensory, or transport barriers)

• Support worker phones (due to privacy, inconsistency, or unavailable access)

• Traditional computers (due to physical or digital literacy limitations)

For them, a personal, easy-to-use smart device with saved logins, simplified navigation, and consistent interface is the only reliable way to stay connected and comply with government protocols.

📝 Framing This in an NDIS Request

Here’s how to make a strong case for a smart device:

• Item: Basic smartphone or tablet (e.g., Android device under $400)

• Category:

  • Low Cost Assistive Technology (<$1500)

  • Or possibly Core – Consumables if framed around function and access

• Purpose: To comply with 2FA and digital access requirements for health, NDIS, and government services

• Justification:

  • Government-mandated 2FA

  • Disability-related access barriers

  • Support for NDIS goals (independence, participation, self-management)

  • Cost-effectiveness vs. increased reliance on support hours

🧩 References and Supporting Resources

• myGov Login & 2FA Requirements

  https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/accessing-mygov-with-two-factor-authentication

• NDIS MyPlace Portal Access

  https://www.ndis.gov.au/participants/using-your-plan/managing-your-plan/ndis-website-and-myplace

• myGovID Authentication App (Australian Government)

  https://www.mygovid.gov.au/

• Government’s Digital Service Standard

  https://www.dta.gov.au/help-and-advice/digital-service-standard

  (See Requirement 9: Make it secure)

• My Health Record Access & Privacy

  https://www.myhealthrecord.gov.au/for-you-your-family/howtos/access-my-record

• 2FA Information and Best Practices

  https://www.cyber.gov.au/protect-yourself/doing-things-safely/multi-factor-authentication

• NDIS Assistive Technology Guidelines

  https://www.ndis.gov.au/providers/assistive-technology

✅ Final Thoughts

In a world where government services require secure digital access, NDIS participants need the right tools to keep up—and participate equally. When a person with a disability is being locked out of vital services simply because they don’t have a functioning smartphone, this becomes a disability-related access issue.

A one-time cost of up to $400 for a smart device isn’t just a support—it’s a compliance solution, a gateway to independence, and a wise investment in reducing future support needs.