Page 818 - Week 03 - Wednesday, 20 March 2019
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CALD people living with disability experience multiple barriers to the full enjoyment of the rights and opportunities experienced by others in our community. This is true of the challenges people face in accessing both mainstream and disability services, including the national disability insurance scheme. The NDIS is making real changes in the lives of people with disability, and the ACT government remains committed to the implementation of this important social reform.
The NDIA have however acknowledged the need to better engage with participants from a CALD background. The latest data from the NDIA states that, as at 30 December 2018, 694 NDIS participants in the ACT identified as being from a culturally and linguistically diverse background. This equates to only 10.4 per cent of the 6,675 active participants in the ACT who have received an approved NDIS participant plan over the life of the scheme.
The review of NDIS processes, improving the NDIS participant and provider experience, released in February 2018, recognises a number of cohorts that need a tailored participant pathway to ensure that their NDIS experience is as good as possible. The review noted that CALD NDIS participants may face particular barriers to accessing appropriate information, engaging and communicating in their preferred language; that NDIA processes and service providers need to acknowledge and understand cultural sensitivities; and that an explanation of key NDIS terms and concepts in a culturally sensitive context may be required.
The NDIA has advised that they are progressively rolling out improvements to the participant pathway for all participants, including people from a CALD background, to ensure that they have better engagement with participants at the start of their interaction with the NDIA, from first learning about the NDIS, during the planning process and throughout plan implementation.
In May 2018 the NDIA released the cultural and linguistic diversity strategy 2018 as a public statement of its commitment to work alongside people with disability from CALD backgrounds. The strategy sets priority areas for action focused on building connections and positive relationships with CALD communities, broadening choice and control and increasing cultural competency within the NDIS. Over time it is intended that the strategy will drive increased participation in the NDIS by people from CALD backgrounds.
The ACT government continues to advocate to the NDIA the importance of establishing improved participant experience as soon as possible, including ensuring improved experiences for participants from a CALD background. The ACT government is also aware of concerns about the quality and capacity of the NDIA’s local area coordinators. I have raised these concerns directly with the NDIA in recent correspondence and I will continue to advocate for LACs that have strong connections to the community and knowledge of local service systems.
While we know that the ACT LAC has diverse staffing—and Ms Lee and I both went to the launch of the LAC, and that was obvious—a lack of broader connections to the community and the Australia-wide concerns about the capacity of LACs to undertake their broader community connection work due to the significant demand for
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