Engaging CALD communities in the NDIS

This report gives voice to the experiences and insights of CALD community leaders and CALD people with disabilities to shine a light on cultural and systemic barriers preventing engagement with, and access to, disability support services. It is hoped the report will help to give greater prominence to the concerns of CALD communities in the implementation of the NDIS. It is further hoped that it will provide a resource to advocate for scheme modifications. The primary research found that the key factors impacting CALD engagement with formal disability services are: cultural views of disability based on home country experience; stigma; a lack of familiarity with Western healthcare systems; and familial and community responsibility for the care of people with disabilities. Systemic limitations in the NDIS model for delivery are also shown to pose challenges for CALD clients with disabilities. Many clients are not fluent in English, require greater support in planning and purchasing of services and do not meet scheme expectations of client capacity for self-advocacy. These are significant and complex challenges.