The passing of the Bill this week is seen as a momentous step towards improving the lives of Australians who are living with a disability and Hartung, who is also vice-president of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), claimed it is a historic moment.

"The APC congratulates the Australian Government, particularly Minister Jenny Macklin and Senator Jan McLucas, on the passage of this legislation," he said.

"As a strong supporter of the National Disability Insurance Scheme ever since the concept was first proposed, the APC hopes and expects that the Scheme will now bring with it a strong new era of support for people with a disability and their carers."

Stage one of the National Disability Insurance Scheme will launch across five states in July this year, with 26,000 people with a disability, their families and carers to be the first to benefit.

The NDIS will then roll out in full across New South Wales by July 2018, while the other state and territory governments continue to work with the Federal Government to finalise their timelines.

Hartung believes that the initiative will work well alongside the APC's goal to improving the lives of Australians living with a disability through sport.

"Now that the Bill has successfully passed, the challenge of implementing the NDIS begins in earnest and must remain a high priority," said Hartung.

"The APC has always been committed to improving the lives of Australians living with a disability through sport, because we have seen the many benefits sport can bring.

"We believe every person living with a disability should have the opportunity to participate in sport at the level of their choice, and we hope that reaching this objective will be made easier through the introduction of the NDIS.

"The APC is very much looking forward to seeing the full extent of the Scheme's coverage and we will continue to do whatever we can to help the Government ensure the Scheme is a success."

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