When it comes to campaigning for his rights as a person with a disability, Jeff Parker has never backed down from a fight.

Key points: Disability Advocacy NSW is bracing for a 30 per cent drop in its budget in 2018

Disability Advocacy NSW is bracing for a 30 per cent drop in its budget in 2018 The organisation's CEO says that means some of its regional offices will be closed

The organisation's CEO says that means some of its regional offices will be closed Advocates say their work goes beyond what the NDIS provides

The 53-year-old is blind and lives with multiple sclerosis. He also has a tumour on his spine.

Over the years, Mr Parker has reached out to Disability Advocacy (DA) NSW for help with everything from a compensation claim, to accessibility issues in town, to a review of his plan under the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).

"With (Disability Advocacy) not being in Armidale, I don't know who I'd turn to," Mr Parker said. "I suppose the closest people would be in Sydney, but that's an eight-hour drive."

For Mr Parker, travelling anywhere by road takes a lot of preparation, and can be painful.

He's one of many people in the region worried about the looming budget crunch at DA.

"There's no other services in this area that do the sort of work that Disability Advocacy does," he said.

The service is bracing for a 30 per cent drop in its budget in 2018, as New South Wales transitions to the NDIS.

The amount of money set to disappear from DA's bottom line is small compared to the state's $77 billion budget — just $700,000.

But it will have a huge impact on disability advocacy in regional New South Wales.

"It's going to mean that we'll have to close down some of our offices. Particularly in Armidale, Coffs Harbour, and Bathurst," DA NSW CEO Mark Grierson said.

"So people will be much further away from advocates in the future."

The service believes, in the transition to the NDIS, disability advocacy — particularly in regional areas — is being neglected.

"The New South Wales Government is rushing into the NDIS, and in doing so it wants to get rid of all its services," Mr Grierson said.

"I think including advocacy — it's almost the baby getting thrown out with the bath water."

'The NDIS isn't everything'

State Minister for Disability Services Ray Williams has said in a letter that advocacy needs will be addressed by a one-time $1.7 million grant to help meet demands during the transition to the NDIS.

The NSW Government also says it has provided $1.5 million to the NSW Council of Social Service to help advocacy organisations adjust to the transition.

But disability advocates say this money is mostly tied to helping people navigate entry into the NDIS — and their work in assisting people with a disability goes far beyond that.

There are legal issues over employment, accessibility, transportation, and municipal issues. And that's just a start.

"The NDIS isn't everything," Mr Grierson said. "There's parts of people with disabilities' lives that don't relate to the NDIS."

We're not just a voice on the phone: advocate

Disability advocate Helen Sutherland (left) assists Jackie Bourne, who lives in Glen Innes. ( ABC News: David Maguire )

Disability advocates say meeting clients face-to-face is a key part of how they do their jobs.

"It's essential. It really is," disability advocate Helen Sutherland said. "It allows them to get to know us. We're not a voice on the end of the phone."

Ms Sutherland spends countless hours driving the roads of New England to meet clients.

Her stops include Glen Innes, where she assists 41-year-old Jackie Bourne, who lives with a mild intellectual disability.

Ms Bourne has turned to DA for help to deal with an employment discrimination claim, and an issue with Telstra.

She has no doubt what would have happened if a disability advocate couldn't have come to meet her in person.

"I would've just given up," she said. "You can talk face-to-face with a disability advocate, and then hopefully [you] will get a better picture of what's going on."

Victorian funding for disability advocacy to continue

The budget plight of regional disability advocacy in New South Wales is the latest example of how the transition to the NDIS is being handled very differently in the states and territories.

In Victoria, disability advocates are also preparing for the transition to the NDIS.

But the State Government has given no indication funding for disability advocacy will be reduced when the NDIS rolls out.

Andrew Fasano (left) often visits advocate Daryl Sloan in Shepparton. ( ABC News: Norman Hermant )

"[We] haven't heard from the State Government that that's the case in Victoria," Leah Kateiva, CEO of the Rights Information and Advocacy Centre (RIAC), said.

The service recently received money from the state's Disability Advocacy Innovation Fund.

"We don't seem to have the same fears [as NSW] at this stage," Ms Kateiva said.

At RIAC's office in Shepparton, about 200 kilometres north of Melbourne, the steady stream of clients comes close to overwhelming a handful of staff.

Andrew Fasano, 43, who lives with mental illness and depression, comes in regularly to see advocate Daryl Sloan.

"I don't know where I would've gone if it wasn't for Daryl's help," he said. "A bill you can't pay, housing, if you haven't got accommodation, if you're homeless — he can steer you in the right places."

Mr Sloan said the work of advocates shouldn't be underestimated.

"I would hope the Government does get it, and understands this is a vital service.