Volume 9 – First Nations people with disability

Summary

Background

The Disability Royal Commission’s Final report tells the Australian Government what changes need to be made to prevent violence against, and abuse, neglect and exploitation of, people with disability.

We recommend change so people with disability can enjoy all human rights and freedoms fully and equally.

Our Final report has 12 volumes.

This video is a summary of Volume 9 – First Nations people with disability. There are eight chapters in this volume.

Volume 9 sets out the issues and themes we identified through listening to First Nations people with disability, their families, carers, supporters and communities.

It acknowledges the ongoing impacts of colonisation, intergenerational trauma and

It also recognises the double disadvantage of racism and ableism experienced by First Nations people with disability.

Volume 9 proposes a new commitment to improve the outcomes of First Nations people with disability by lifting their needs and priorities in policies and programs.

Chapters 1–2

Disability: not a word we use

Chapter 1 presents the human rights framework, as well as the broader historical context and policy frameworks that are relevant to First Nations people with disability.

Chapter 2 describes the different ways that First Nations people understand disability.

Western concepts of disability focus on the individual impairment. Many First Nations people with disability prefer a cultural model centred on inclusion, focusing instead on what people with disability can contribute to their community.

First Nations people with disability often experience barriers to accessing disability services and supports.

First Nations people with disability are reluctant to get diagnosed or engage with government services.

This chapter looks at colonisation, past laws, policies and practices that have affected the way First Nations people with disability understand and experience disability.

They have contributed to feelings of shame, guilt and distrust.

Chapter 3

Ensuring cultural safety

We learnt that it is important for First Nations people with disability to access culturally appropriate services. Chapter 3 looks at the importance of cultural safety.

First Nations people with disability say they are culturally safe when people understand, respect and celebrate their:

• First Nations identity

• experiences and needs as a person with disability.

We learnt that it is important for First Nations people with disability to access culturally appropriate services and supports that are led by First Nations people. Denying or limiting access is a form of neglect.

Chapters 4–6

The experiences of First Nations people with disability

Chapter 4 looks at the nature and extent of violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation throughout the life course of First Nations people with disability.

There is a specific focus on education, health, and family and domestic violence.

Chapters 5 and 6 explore how First Nations people with disability experience the child protection and criminal justice systems.

In these chapters we learnt:

• First Nations children experience higher rates of suspension and expulsion at school than non-Indigenous children.

• First Nations people with disability experience poorer health outcomes than non‑Indigenous people with disability.

• Disability in First Nations people is underdiagnosed or misdiagnosed. 

• First Nations people with disability are disproportionately affected by family violence.

• First Nations people with disability experience barriers to reporting and receiving supports. These include fear of child protection services, loss of home and community, and a lack of culturally safe services.

• A lack of early support for First Nations parents and children with disability can contribute to increased contact with child protection systems, particularly in remote areas of Australia.

• First Nations people with disability experience racist and ableist attitudes, physical violence, and physical and chemical restraints in criminal justice settings.

Chapter 7

The unmet potential of the NDIS for First Nations people with disability

This chapter looks at the challenges for First Nations people with disability in accessing the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), especially in remote communities. These significant barriers are a form of neglect.

Barriers include:

• high cost of delivering services

• few participants

• housing shortages

• no local workforces

• complexity of the NDIS and lack of understanding of the NDIS

• lack of cultural safety

Chapter 7 makes several recommendations to help address these barriers. 

They include:

• expanding programs that support people with disability in remote communities to access and navigate the NDIS

• funding First Nations Community Controlled Organisations to provide flexible supports and services, such as transport for people to access therapy.

Chapter 8

The case for structural reform

This chapter points out that policies and services often fail to respond to the distinct needs of First Nations people with disability. Agencies and departments often operate in ‘silos’.

As a result, the needs of First Nations people with disability are often overlooked, ignored or forgotten.

Chapter 8 identifies opportunities to improve outcomes for First Nations people with disability by:

• strengthening their voices through a First Nations Disability Forum, supported by Australian Government and state and territory governments

• improving cultural safety through new standards across all services for First Nations people with disability

• building the First Nations disability workforce in remote communities.

More information

For more information about our Final report, and to access all volumes, visit our website. Go to the ‘Publications’ section and click on ‘Final report’.

www.disability.royalcommission.gov.au

Volume 9 – First Nations people with disability

Recommendations

Background

The Disability Royal Commission’s Final report tells the Australian Government what changes need to be made to prevent violence against, and abuse, neglect and exploitation of, people with disability.

We recommend change so people with disability can enjoy all human rights and freedoms fully and equally.

Our Final report has 12 volumes.

This video summarises recommendations in Volume 9 – First Nations people with disability.

Volume 9 sets out the issues and themes we identified through listening to First Nations people with disability, their families, carers, supporters and communities.

It acknowledges the ongoing impacts of colonisation, intergenerational trauma and racism.

It also recognises the double disadvantage of racism and ableism experienced by First Nations people with disability.

Volume 9 proposes a new commitment to improve the outcomes of First Nations people with disability by lifting their needs and priorities in policies and programs.

There are 13 recommendations in this volume.

Some recommendations relate to the child protection and criminal justice systems. Most recommendations in this volume focus on changes to the National Disability Insurance Scheme and structural reform.

National Disability Insurance Scheme

First Nations people with disability experience significant barriers to accessing the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).

These barriers are worse for people living in remote communities. These significant barriers are a form of neglect.

Barriers include:

• high cost of delivering services

• few NDIS participants

• housing shortages

• no local workforces

• complexity of the NDIS and lack of understanding of the NDIS

• lack of cultural safety.

To address these barriers we have made the following recommendations.

• The National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) should increase the numbers and coverage of the community connector programs for First Nations people with disability in remote areas. These programs support people with disability to access and navigate the NDIS. They should be funded for the long-term and provide training for staff. In areas where English is not the preferred language, programs should recruit staff who speak local languages.

• The NDIA should fund First Nations Community Controlled Organisations to flexibly deliver supports and services to First Nations people with disability. These could include respite or accommodation; food, bedding or clothing; translation or transport.

• Return to Country refers to First Nations people travelling to their Country after they’ve moved to cities to access disability support services. The NDIA should recognise cultural supports and return to Country trips.

• Many remote communities have few or no disability services and family members fill the gap. The NDIA, the First Nations Advisory Council and First Nations Community Controlled Organisations should co-design policy guidelines on funding for First Nations family members to provide supports to participants in remote communities.

Structural reform

Policy frameworks and services often fail to respond to the distinct needs of First Nations people with disability. Their particular experiences are often overlooked or ignored.

This is a form of systemic neglect.

We make a number of recommendations to strengthen the voices of First Nations people with disability.

Our recommendations also address gaps in plans and strategies that are responsible for the health and wellbeing of First Nations people with disability.

Our recommendations include:

• The Australian Government and state and territory governments should support and fund a national First Nations Disability Forum to drive policy and service reform. The Forum should consist of First Nations people with disability as well as representatives from:

  • First Peoples Disability Network

  • First Nations Community Controlled Organisations

  • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peak bodies.

The Forum should implement the Disability Sector Strengthening Plan (DSSP) and develop the First Nations Disability Workforce.

• All levels of government and the Coalition of Peaks should revise the DSSP to align complex policies. Its goal is to build the community controlled disability sector and improve outcomes for First Nations people with disability. The revised DSSP should have:

  • agreed priority areas, developed in partnership with the First Peoples Disability Network

  • a commitment to future funding and longer timeframes

  • agreed timeframes for delivering actions and achieving outcomes

  • annual reporting requirements.

• The Australian Government in partnership with the First Nations Disability Forum should develop disability-inclusive cultural safety standards for services for First Nations people with disability. Cultural safety is essential in services for First Nations people with disability and in preventing violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation. Disability service providers that support First Nations people with disability should incorporate these standards in their practices and organisations.

• The First Nations Disability Forum and parties to the DSSP should develop a strategy to develop First Nations local workforces in remote communities. This will help address the shortage of suitable skilled First Nations workers.

More information

For more information about our Final report, and to access all volumes, visit our website. Go to the ‘Publications’ section and click on ‘Final report’.

www.disability.royalcommission.gov.au