Does the NDIS Cover Driving Lessons?
Usually no for ordinary lessons, but a disability-specific OT driver assessment and specialised driver training can be funded. Here's the difference.
Generally no for ordinary driving lessons — learning to drive is a mainstream cost most people meet themselves. But there's an important exception: a disability-specific occupational therapy driver assessment, and driver training that addresses your disability or uses a modified vehicle, can be funded as Capacity Building.
The short answer
How the NDIS decides
What can and can't be funded
How to ask, and what helps
Bringing it together
Frequently asked questions
Will the NDIS pay for my normal L-plate lessons?
Generally no — standard learner lessons are a mainstream cost that everyone pays, so they aren't funded by the NDIS. What can be funded is disability-specific driver assessment and specialised training where your disability is the reason you need extra support. An OT driver assessment is the usual…
What is an OT driving assessment?
It's an assessment by an occupational therapist with driver-training qualifications who looks at how your disability affects driving and what would make it safe and possible. It can recommend specialised training and any vehicle modifications you might need. It's often the starting point for any…
Can the NDIS fund driving lessons in a modified car?
Yes, this is more likely to be funded, because training to drive with modifications such as hand controls is directly linked to your disability. The modifications themselves are funded separately as assistive technology, following an OT and driver assessment. Speak to your OT about combining the…