Yakov
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‘Unfortunately, news of negative experiences travels quickly in emerging CALD communities.’
Yakov told the Royal Commission he has been denied access to the NDIS four times. A middle-aged man from a culturally and linguistically diverse background, he has post-traumatic stress disorder and chronic pain resulting from military service as a young man, and other health conditions.
About four years ago, having attended a job capacity assessment and disability medical assessment and providing medical, psychologist and dietitian reports, Yakov’s application for the Disability Support Pension was approved.
Due to the comorbidity of his conditions and the impact it has on his ability to perform daily personal activities he applied for the NDIS, but the application was rejected.
Yakov said that during the application process he was asked about his cultural background and religion. ‘What difference does it make where I come from?’ he asks. ‘We all belong to the human race.’
He feels certain that his cultural background is the reason his application was rejected.
This rejection was shocking to Yakov and triggered previous trauma. He experienced episodes of depression and anxiety, with a detrimental effect on his overall wellbeing.
‘I could not believe that I was rejected by the NDIS even though I cannot look after myself, I am struggling, really struggling. All I want is to be able to live life independently.’
Yakov does not want to burden his family by asking them to help him. He is currently undergoing a review process to receive funding for personal care and a mobility aid with the support of an advocate. He is still hopeful that the NDIS will ‘hear’ him and provide him with funding to help him ‘live an ordinary life’.
Yakov recently attended a group program run by ‘a well-known provider’. But he felt excluded by the lack of cultural awareness and culturally appropriate activities. ‘There was no-one there that looked like me, there was no-one from my community,’ he said. He did not return.
Yakov pointed out that ‘the uptake of NDIS amongst the CALD community is much lower than the mainstream community’ and he believes this is due to ‘negative encounters many in the CALD community experience’. He would like to see the NDIS offer ‘specific support’ to connect with CALD communities in a culturally appropriate way’.
He also says there should be a simplified application process for the NDIS that would benefit all participants.
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.