For Bendigo woman Emma Johnson, the NDIS is much more than a bunch of letters – it’s the promise of leading and fuller and more independent life.

The National Disability Insurance Scheme will roll out across Bendigo from May 1, 2017, it was announced this week. 

No one was more thrilled than Ms Johnson.

Celebrating her 33rd birthday on Saturday, Ms Johnson still lives with her parents and hopes the funding she will receive through the NDIS will prepare her to live in a place of her own.

“I am living at home with my parents,” she said.

“One day, would like to live in a unit.”

“I would like going out and having more of a social life.”

The funding through the NDIS would also help give her the training and skills she needs to gain employment.

“I want a job one day – I would like to do hospitality,” she said.

Already an active community member, Ms Johnson plays netball for Golden City All Abilities team, as well as tennis, line dancing and volunteering at an op-shop.

She hopes the money through the new scheme will help her access the gym and build her strength in her sports.

Radius Disability Services CEO Cath McDonald said the organisation was “very excited” the NDIS was coming and was not perturbed by it rolling out in 2017, rather than 2016 as had been previously hoped.

“It’s just all about hope and opportunity for the future,” Ms McDonald said.

“It is a big change…(the later date) is actually better for us because we have more than 200 clients we are going to be helping prepare for the NDIS so it makes our workload a lot easier.”

She said it gave clients, like Ms Johnson, time to ask for the suite of programs and funding under the NDIS that would improve her lifestyle.

“I think for the town too, there is a lot of opportunity around building capacity and linkages … that is going to be the lynchpin for gaining open employment for Emma and our other employees,” Ms McDonald said.

“It is about working with the community to make the community ready to embrace people with a disability as part of their workforce.”

Radius board chairperson Russell Robertson said it was “tremendous” to have certainty about the start date and Bendigo would still feel the benefits of the NDIS before other parts of the nation.

“We’ve had the opportunity to see what’s happening in Barwon, so that’s been helpful to assess the advantages we’ll get under the NDIS,” Mr Robertson said.