Embracing Disability in Multicultural Communities
Upcoming event: African Community Consultation
Speaking up for yourself as a person with disability in Australia
Are you a person with disability from an African background? Do you have a connection to a person with a disability as a family member, community leader or organisation supporting people with disability from African communities?
Join us to talk about the barriers for people with disability from your community that make it hard for them to speak up about what they need. We also want to hear about what has worked so people with disability can find their voice.
Information gathered will be used to inform the development of opportunities and resources for this community.
Register before Thursday 23 May 2024 – Interpreters are available for this forum.
Click here to register 👉🏼 African Community Consultation
Date: Thursday 6 June 2024
Time: 9:30am – 2:00pm*
Where: Forest Lake Community Hall
60 College Avenue, Forest Lake Qld 4078
*Light lunch will be provided.
Sharing stories of people with disability, their families and carers from multicultural communities.
We have a key role to play in ensuring people with disability, their families and carers from multicultural backgrounds reach their full potential and participate in all aspects of community life.
As part of this, we’re bringing multicultural communities together to share stories of people and families living well with disability and their participation in community life to reduce the stigma around disability.
In 2023 we hosted community conversations in Brisbane's southern suburbs with members of the Somali, South Sudanese and other East African communities. As well as providing a safe space for families with a disability to connect and share their personal stories, we created a video resource.
The video focuses on the stories of Istarlin and Mary, who are leaders within their communities and the parents of children with disability. They speak about the importance of raising voices in multicultural communities to ensure better outcomes for people with disabilities.
We invite you to watch this video and share it within your networks. Together we all have a role in ensuring people from cultural and linguistic backgrounds with disability feel connected, supported and seen.
Watch the video 👇🏼
Stories from African communities
Speak My Language
By hearing stories that speak to the needs and interests of multicultural community members in their own voice, we can support people with disability and their families and carers from culturally diverse communities to better understand the services, supports and opportunities available and increase their inclusion across the community.
Carers Queensland recently collaborated with the Ethnic Communities Council of Queensland on the Speak My Language project to highlight stories of people from multicultural backgrounds living well with disability in Australia.
You can hear positive stories of life with disability in 22 different languages through these podcasts. To hear these stories, including two which highlight the benefits of community participation and supports available through Carers Queensland (available in the seven languages listed below), visit the Speak My Language website: https://speakmylanguage.com.au/
Carers Queensland – Self-advocacy and Capacity Building
Arabic https://speakmylanguage.com.au/podcasts/play/P932/E
Mandarin https://speakmylanguage.com.au/podcasts/play/P934/E
Farsi https://speakmylanguage.com.au/podcasts/play/P935/E
Hindi https://speakmylanguage.com.au/podcasts/play/P936/E
Korean https://speakmylanguage.com.au/podcasts/play/P937/L
Vietnamese https://speakmylanguage.com.au/podcasts/play/P938/E
Cantonese https://speakmylanguage.com.au/podcasts/play/P933/E
Carers Queensland – Community Inclusion
Arabic https://speakmylanguage.com.au/podcasts/play/P939/E
Mandarin https://speakmylanguage.com.au/podcasts/play/P941/E
Farsi https://speakmylanguage.com.au/podcasts/play/P942/E
Hindi https://speakmylanguage.com.au/podcasts/play/P943/E
Korean https://speakmylanguage.com.au/podcasts/play/P944/L
Vietnamese https://speakmylanguage.com.au/podcasts/play/P945/E
Cantonese https://speakmylanguage.com.au/podcasts/play/P940/E
Do you have a story to share?
As a person with a disability (or family member) from a multicultural background, your story of living well in your community can improve opportunities for others like you.
If you, or someone you know would be happy to share your experience, or chat with us, and be a part of the change to see people with a disability thrive in their community, you can connect with us via this email address: cq.communityandmainstream@ndis.gov.au . Alternatively, you can call us on 1300 999 636.
Interpreter services are available if you prefer to communicate in a language other than English.
For more information
Please contact the Community and Mainstream Team from Carers Queensland at cq.communityandmainstream@ndis.gov.au, or phone the Carers Queensland Enquiries Line on 1300 999 636.
Stories and podcasts
Istarlin advocates for her children and Somali disability community – Carers Queensland
Esterina speaks her truth after years hiding from the world – Carers Queensland
Carers Queensland works to remove stigma of disability in African communities
Podcast Episode 1.7: Making Australia home (carersqld.com.au)
