Lewis Beard achieved an Australian Tertiary Admission Rank of 94.9 when he did his HSC last year, has just started a chemical engineering degree at the University of Sydney and is on his way to a good career.

The 18-year-old from Balgowlah was also born with severe to profound hearing loss which could have stalled his education without early intervention.

His family was referred to The Shepherd Centre, which assists children with hearing loss, when he was still a baby.

"When he was diagnosed we thought he would never have the chance to be a normal kid," his mother Angela Beard said. "We were so wrong. That's the incredible thing about early intervention."

Early intervention is a key focus of the National Disability Insurance Scheme, with the aim of helping people with disability continue at school and find work. Both the NSW Coalition and the ALP have launched policies to improve job prospects for people with disabilities.

But the Shepherd Centre's chief executive Jim Hungerford said increased demand for early intervention has led to a funding shortfall, meaning the service can only help half the children who need early intervention.

The Shepherd Centre is lobbying the state government for $250k per year for the next two years while the NDIS is phased in.

Questions about the timing of the NDIS roll out have led to uncertainty within the disability sector with ongoing concerns about stalling of state funding before the program is up and running. The coalition has announced that the plan will be launched in Penrith and the Blue Mountains this year, 12 months ahead of schedule.

Leading welfare groups say people with a disability are at a high risk of poverty, with the state's peak body for social services, The Council for Social Services of NSW putting  rising poverty, affordable housing and the basic living costs on the agenda before the election.

The rising cost of living in NSW has forced vulnerable residents further into disadvantage with welfare groups using the upcoming state election to lobby for reforms to housing, disability services and concessions for transport and energy.

NCOSS is recommending the establishment of a cost of living strategy which would address food insecurity, concessions for transport and energy rebates and educational expenses for low-income families.

It also recommends a substantial boost to capital funding for social and affordable housing as well as the establishment of a homelessness action plan to address the state's growing homeless population.

Both the ALP and the Coalition have released affordable housing plans; the Coalition is also pledging $90 gas rebates to ease the rising price of utilities. 

What the experts say

St Vincent de Paul Society NSW chief executive Michael Perusco

Addressing poverty and social equity should be a priority for all political parties as we head into a State election.

Housing costs are arguably the single biggest driver of poverty and disadvantage. Vinnies continues to recommend that we increase the availability of social and affordable housing in NSW by injecting substantial funds into an Affordable Housing Fund to incentivise construction of new social and affordable housing and to attract private sector investment. We also ask that the transfer of public housing properties to community housing providers via long term leases be expedited and that affordable housing targets be set for local councils.

The cost of energy and other living costs are putting an enormous strain on the family budget. Vinnies is advocating for an improved NSW energy concessions scheme and a review the NSW energy customer protection framework.

People with Disability Australia co-chief executive Therese Sands

PWDA's 2015 NSW election platform focuses on a socially just, accessible and inclusive NSW community. Our platform identifies five key areas which we believe should be prioritised by the NSW Government during this time of significant change in the disability landscape. They are:

Realise inclusion through the full implementation of the National Disability Strategy in NSW; deliver disability support in a diverse, sustainable and competitive market; address the barriers that exclude people with disability from living in the community; improve training and employment opportunities for people with disabilities and establish a strategy to protect people with disabilities from violence and ensure justice.

The recommendations are concrete steps towards full inclusion and participation of people with disability in the economic, social and cultural life of NSW.

NCOSS chief executive Tracy Howe

Poverty affects nearly 900,000 people in NSW – more than in any other state or territory. The rate of poverty in NSW is also among the highest in Australia at 14.8 per cent. In addition to the hundreds of thousands of people living in poverty in NSW, a further 7 per cent are near, or at risk of poverty.

Here in NSW, our cost of living – particularly the cost of housing – mean that our family, our friends or indeed any one of us is just one step away from poverty or disadvantage.

NCOSS wants to see everyone speak about the issue of poverty and disadvantage in our state, plan for a fairer NSW and act to address poverty, disadvantage and marginalisation.