Claire
Content Warning: These stories are about violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation and may include references to suicide or self-harming behaviours. They may contain graphic descriptions and strong language and may be distressing. Some narratives may be about First Nations people who have passed away. If you need support, please see Contact & support.
Claire is a support worker in regional and remote Australia. She helps First Nations people access the NDIS.
‘There is currently no access to free interpreter services for Aboriginal language speakers or people supporting them,’ Claire told the Royal Commission.
‘It is my belief that many Aboriginal people with a disability who have English as a second (or third or fourth) language are being disadvantaged by the system.’
Claire was recently planning a trip through remote communities and discovered the federal government’s Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS) isn’t available in First Nations languages.
She said First Nations language speakers are often asked to read and sign NDIS documents in English. The only interpreter available is often a family member who also doesn’t speak English as a first language.
‘There is a privacy issue with including them in the conversation, particularly in situations where [domestic violence] may be in the conversation and the “interpreter” is also the perpetrator.’
Claire wants First Nations people to be offered the same services available to people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.
‘In the NDIS space, as with many other groups (including the Royal Commission), people from 3000 plus different language groups have access to free interpreting services through the TIS. None of these are Aboriginal languages.’
Disclaimer: This is the story of a person who shared their personal experience with the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability through a submission or private session. The names in this story are pseudonyms. The person who shared this experience was not a witness and their account is not evidence. They did not take an oath or affirmation before providing the story. Nothing in this story constitutes a finding of the Royal Commission. Any views expressed are those of the person who shared their experience, not of the Royal Commission.