NDIS Navigators: Find Support in Australia

The NDIS Review found that people with disability often have to work their way through a complex system of supports on their own. Navigators are a new role recommended to fix that, helping people with disability find and coordinate the right support inside and outside the NDIS. The role is being co-designed and piloted between 2026 and 2028. More than 120 support coordination providers are listed on Carevo across every state and territory, the kind of navigation and coordination work the new navigator role formalises.

This page explains what a navigator does, how the role differs from NDIS support coordination, who it is for, and when it becomes available. It also covers how to get help with navigation right now while the new role is still being built.

What an NDIS navigator does

A navigator is a person whose job is to help someone with disability find their way through the support system. Navigators are a new role recommended by the NDIS Review to help people with disability find their way through a complex system of supports.

In practice, navigation work is about connecting a person to the supports that fit their situation. That can include:

• Helping a person understand what supports exist, both inside the NDIS and in the wider community
• Pointing people toward mainstream and community services, not only NDIS-funded ones
• Helping coordinate the different services a person uses so they work together
• Supporting people who are not on the NDIS to find help through other pathways

The intent behind the role is to reduce the amount of work that falls on the individual and their family. Instead of each person having to learn the system from scratch, a navigator brings that knowledge to them.

Navigators vs support coordinators

Navigators are distinct from NDIS support coordination, which is funded inside an NDIS plan. The two roles do similar work, but they sit in different places.

Support coordination is funded within an individual NDIS plan. A support coordinator helps an NDIS participant put their plan into action, find and connect with providers, and manage the supports in that plan. It is available to NDIS participants whose plans include funding for it.

The navigator role is broader. It is being designed to help all people with disability, not only those with an NDIS plan, and is part of the government reforms following the NDIS Review rather than a line item in a plan.

Until navigators are widely available, support coordinators do much of this navigation work for NDIS participants. If you are an NDIS participant in Australia today, a support coordinator is the practical route to the help a navigator will eventually provide. For participants managing the funding side of their plan, a plan management provider can also take on the administration so you have more time for the supports themselves.

Who navigators are for

Navigators are intended for all people with disability, including people accessing foundational supports who are not on the NDIS, not only NDIS participants.

This is one of the main differences from support coordination. Support coordination is only available to people with an NDIS plan that funds it. The navigator role is being designed for a wider group:

• People with disability who are NDIS participants
• People with disability who are not on the NDIS
• People accessing foundational supports, the general and targeted supports that sit outside the NDIS

Foundational supports are part of the same set of reforms. They are designed to help people with disability who do not need or are not eligible for an individual NDIS plan. Navigators are meant to help this group connect with foundational supports and other community services, not just NDIS-funded ones.

When navigators are available

The navigator role is not fully available yet. Navigators are being co-designed and piloted between 2026 and 2028.

Co-design means people with disability, families, and the sector are involved in shaping how the role works before it is rolled out broadly. Piloting means the role is being tested in limited settings during this period rather than being available everywhere at once.

Because the role is still being built and tested through 2028, the most reliable way to get navigation help in Australia right now is through existing pathways, particularly support coordination for NDIS participants.

Getting help now

You do not need to wait for the navigator role to be finished to get help with navigation. For NDIS participants in Australia, support coordinators already do much of this work, and they are available now.

Carevo connects you with experienced support coordinators in Australia. More than 120 support coordination providers are listed on Carevo, doing the kind of navigation and coordination work the new navigator role formalises. They are available across every state and territory:

• New South Wales: 48 providers
• Victoria: 38 providers
• Queensland: 33 providers
• Western Australia: 14 providers
• South Australia: 13 providers
• ACT, the Northern Territory and Tasmania: smaller numbers, growing

Through Carevo you can find support coordinators in Australia who understand the local service system, connect with providers who can help you put an NDIS plan into action, and get help coordinating the different supports you use.

If you are an NDIS participant whose plan includes support coordination, contacting a support coordinator through Carevo is the practical equivalent of navigator help today. If you are not on the NDIS, keep an eye on the navigator and foundational supports rollout through 2026 to 2028, as these are designed to reach people outside the scheme.

Frequently asked questions

What is an NDIS navigator?

A navigator is a new role recommended by the NDIS Review to help people with disability find their way through a complex system of supports. Navigators are being co-designed and piloted between 2026 and 2028. The role is meant to help people connect with the right supports, inside and outside the NDIS.

Are navigators available now?

Not fully. The navigator role is being co-designed and piloted between 2026 and 2028. While the role is being built, NDIS support coordinators do much of this navigation work for NDIS participants, and they are available now.

What is the difference between a navigator and a support coordinator?

Support coordination is funded inside an individual NDIS plan and is for NDIS participants. The navigator role is broader, designed to help all people with disability, including people accessing foundational supports who are not on the NDIS. Until navigators are widely available, support coordinators carry out much of this work for participants.

Do I need to be on the NDIS to use a navigator?

No. Navigators are intended for all people with disability, including people who are not on the NDIS and people accessing foundational supports. Support coordination, by contrast, is only available to NDIS participants whose plans fund it.

How can I get navigation help in Australia right now?

For NDIS participants, the practical route is a support coordinator. Carevo connects you with experienced support coordinators in Australia who do the kind of navigation and coordination work the navigator role formalises. More than 120 support coordination providers are listed on Carevo.

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Navigators are a government reform still being co-designed and piloted between 2026 and 2028. While that work continues, you do not have to manage the system on your own. Carevo connects you with experienced support coordinators in Australia who do this navigation and coordination work today.

Speak with a support coordinator today to find out who is available in Australia and how they can help you connect with the right support.