NDIS I-CAN v6 for Hearing and Vision Impairment

What participants, families, and carers need to know

Disclaimer: This article reflects publicly available information about the NDIS I-CAN v6 assessment framework as at June 2026. It does not constitute professional disability support, medical, or legal advice. For personalised guidance, contact the NDIA on 1800 800 110, your Support Coordinator, or a disability advocacy organisation.

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Hearing and vision impairment are sometimes called "invisible disabilities" — and this invisibility presents a specific challenge for the I-CAN v6 assessment.

An assessor sitting across a table from someone with significant hearing impairment may see a person who communicates reasonably well in a quiet, one-on-one setting. They may not see the person who cannot follow a doctor's instructions without an interpreter, who cannot attend their child's school events because of background noise, who is exhausted by the end of every day from the sustained effort of lipreadng and filling in communication gaps.

An assessor meeting someone with significant vision impairment may see a person who navigates a familiar environment competently. They may not see the person who cannot independently access transport in an unfamiliar area, who cannot read their NDIS plan documents without assistance, who fell on three occasions last quarter in environments with low or inconsistent lighting.

The I-CAN v6 is designed to assess genuine daily functional impact — not the surface presentation in an assessment room. Your job in preparation is to give the assessor the information they need to see the full picture.

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For Hearing Impairment and Deafness

The core functional impacts to document

Communication in noise and groups. Even with hearing aids, most people with significant hearing impairment struggle in noisy or group environments. One-on-one conversation in a quiet room is not representative of daily communication demands. Document the specific settings where communication breaks down: workplaces, social events, medical appointments, public transport, family gatherings.

Listening fatigue. Sustained listening with hearing impairment — particularly lipreading — requires significant cognitive effort. By the end of a day of sustained effort, many deaf and hard of hearing people experience profound fatigue that affects mood, concentration, and functioning. This is a real, documentable impact.

Communication access barriers. Phone calls, inaccessible public announcements, environments without captioning or loop systems, and interactions with unfamiliar speakers who do not accommodate communication needs are all daily barriers.

Social and community isolation. The social cost of hearing impairment — difficulty following group conversations, exclusion from social settings due to communication barriers, reduced spontaneous social interaction — is a significant functional impact that often manifests in the Community, Social & Civic Life domain.

Domain-by-Domain: Hearing Impairment

Communication — This is typically the primary domain. Document: your hearing level and type; what you can hear with and without aids; the environments where communication breaks down; your use of lipreading, Auslan, captioning, or other supports; listening fatigue; and how communication barriers affect safety (mishearing medical instructions, missing emergency alerts).

Self Care — Describe any impacts of hearing impairment on personal hygiene and self-care routines: whether you can safely manage showering, dressing, eating, and daily body care; whether communication barriers with support workers affect the quality or safety of personal care; whether hearing alarms or smoke detectors is relevant to your personal safety during self-care activities (e.g. in the shower).

General Tasks and Demands — Describe how hearing impairment affects daily routine management and safety: inability to hear alarms, doorbells, or phone calls affecting appointment management; safety risks from not hearing emergency alerts or warning sounds; vulnerability to exploitation due to communication barriers with unfamiliar people.

Interpersonal Interactions & Relationships — Describe the effort required to maintain relationships in the presence of communication barriers; social fatigue; situations where hearing impairment has led to misunderstandings or social withdrawal.

Community, Social & Civic Life — Document what community participation is limited or prevented by hearing impairment: inaccessible entertainment venues, inability to participate in group activities, need for communication support to attend social or community events.

Life Long Learning — Document disability-related barriers to pursuing or maintaining vocational goals: workplace communication demands (meetings, phone calls, noisy environments); the effort and cost of communicating in work settings; history of job loss or underemployment related to hearing impairment; what support or accommodations would enable vocational participation.

Mental & Emotional Health — The mental health impacts of communication isolation: anxiety and depression are significantly more prevalent in people with hearing impairment than the general population. Document the mental health impact and current support.

Physical Health — Ongoing audiological management, hearing aid maintenance and cost, and any other physical health aspects of hearing impairment requiring regular management or review.

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For Vision Impairment and Blindness

The core functional impacts to document

Navigation and independence. The ability to travel independently — by public transport, in unfamiliar areas, or in low-light conditions — is often significantly limited by vision impairment. Document exactly what navigation you can and cannot manage independently, and what supports (orientation and mobility training, guide dog, sighted guide, transport assistance) are needed.

Reading and information access. Vision impairment frequently affects the ability to access written information — including NDIS documents, medical information, financial records, and everyday household information. Document how you access written information, what technology or human support you use, and where gaps remain.

Fatigue. Like hearing impairment, significant vision impairment often causes visual fatigue — from the sustained effort of processing visual information with impaired vision. Document this, including how it accumulates through the day and what activities trigger it.

Environmental access. Low-vision individuals may manage in familiar, well-lit, high-contrast environments while struggling in unfamiliar, poorly lit, or visually complex ones. An assessment room is not representative of the range of environments navigated daily.

Domain-by-Domain: Vision Impairment

Mobility — This is typically the most significant domain for vision impairment. Document: your level of functional vision (distance, field, acuity, lighting sensitivity); what you can and cannot navigate independently; use of a white cane, guide dog, or orientation and mobility supports; ability to use public transport; environments that are not safely accessible; and whether your functional vision varies (many conditions involve fluctuation).

Domestic Life — Document how vision impairment affects household management: inability to safely cook without being able to see hob controls or monitor food; inability to read product labels or appliance displays; difficulty managing cleaning and household maintenance safely. Note: financial management and paperwork access belong in Community, Social & Civic Life (see below).

Community, Social & Civic Life — Document participation barriers and financial management challenges: inability to drive affecting community access; difficulty in visually complex social environments; barriers to accessing entertainment and community activities; inability to independently manage finances, read bank statements, or access printed paperwork without assistance or technology support.

Communication — If vision impairment affects reading and writing, describe the format adaptations you need, the technology you use (screen readers, large print, braille), and where gaps remain — for example, documents that cannot be converted to an accessible format, or real-time visual communication demands (whiteboards, visual presentations, signing).

Mental & Emotional Health — The mental health impact of vision loss, particularly for people with acquired or progressive vision impairment. Document anxiety, depression, or grief responses to vision loss, and current mental health support.

Physical Health — Ongoing ophthalmological management; eye drop and medication requirements; the cumulative health management burden of vision impairment — document what ongoing health monitoring and management is required.

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For Deafblindness

Deafblindness — combined hearing and vision impairment — creates a specific and profound communication and access challenge that affects almost every I-CAN domain simultaneously.

People who are Deafblind may use a range of communication methods: Auslan (with adaptation for limited visual field), tactile signing, braille, hand-over-hand communication, or other individualised methods. Each of these requires skilled communication partners.

For a Deafblind participant's assessment:

• Request specific assessor knowledge of Deafblind communication methods
• Ensure a qualified interpreter or intervener is booked in advance
• Allow substantially more time for the assessment
• Provide a detailed preparation document that addresses all affected domains, because the assessment conversation alone cannot capture the full picture

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What "With Technology" Does Not Mean

A common misunderstanding in NDIS assessments for hearing and vision impairment is that the provision of assistive technology "solves" the functional limitation.

It does not.

Hearing aids significantly improve hearing for many people — but they do not restore normal hearing. They do not function well in background noise. They require batteries and maintenance. They are not available every moment of every day. And for many people, they manage but do not eliminate communication barriers.

Similarly, screen readers and magnification technology significantly improve access to digital information for people with vision impairment — but they do not provide full access to the physical environment, handwritten documents, visual cues in social settings, or environments not designed with accessibility in mind.

In your preparation document, describe both what your technology enables and what it does not. This "gap" is where genuine support needs live.

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Sources: NDIA — Support needs assessment framework, Hearing Australia, Vision Australia, Deafblind Australia, NDIS Amendment (Getting the NDIS Back on Track No. 1) Act 2024, Disability Advocacy Network Australia (DANA)