Page 1398 - Week 04 - Thursday, 12 April 2018
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they serve the needs of Canberra’s culturally and linguistically diverse community. It is important that perspectives reflecting a breadth of backgrounds, faiths and languages are captured in the lead-up to and at the summit.
I was pleased to note that the National Disability Insurance Agency also acknowledges the need to better engage with participants from a culturally and linguistically diverse background. In the recent review of the national disability insurance scheme processes, improving the NDIS participant and provider experience, it was recognised that a number of cohorts need a tailored participant pathway to ensure that their NDIS experience is as good as possible. Culturally and linguistically diverse participants and participants with psychosocial disability were both identified as cohorts requiring tailored participant pathways.
The review noted that culturally and linguistically diverse participants may have particular barriers in accessing appropriate information and 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.
As NDIS participants of culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds make up approximately a fifth of all participants, work on ensuring that they have appropriate and accessible services is crucial. This of course includes culturally and linguistically diverse people who experience psychosocial disability.
The ACT Office for Disability will continue working collaboratively with the National Disability Insurance Agency to contribute to the development and delivery of the new pathways, recognising that the categories of people for whom pathways are being developed, including culturally and linguistically diverse communities and people with psychosocial disabilities, are not mutually exclusive. People with psychosocial disability or mental illness may also be culturally or linguistically diverse, Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander and/or have other complex needs and complexities in their lives.
We are also committed to advocating that the commonwealth government ensures that the supports they are responsible for meet the needs of our community. This includes advocating for those from refugee backgrounds who have fled persecution, have experienced torture, seen their homes destroyed, families killed and fled war and are more likely to be dealing with trauma and mental health concerns.
I would like in that context to acknowledge and thank the tireless efforts of organisations such as Migrant and Refugee Support Services, Multicultural Youth Services, Companion House and Red Cross, as well as interested members of the Canberra community who support those from a migrant, refugee and asylum seeker background to settle in Canberra, including through Canberra Refugee Support.
Multicultural Youth Services assist young migrants and refugees to find their way in their new environment, including finding a job, getting to school, relationship and family matters. I have no doubt that the social connections that MYS helps build,
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