New NDIA chair Kurt Fearnley says participants must be able to ‘see themselves’ in the agency

National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) chair Kurt Fearnley says ‘the scheme cannot be a success without trust and that is build over a period of time’. Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAP

The new chair of the National Disability Insurance Agency, Kurt Fearnley, has said the scheme won’t succeed unless participants trust the organisation and “see themselves” in it.

Fearnley, a three-time Paralympic gold medallist, was appointed chair of the agency’s board on Monday, the first time a person with disability has held the position.