A radical $22 billion reform of disability services across Australia has largely failed to engage people from non-English speaking backgrounds.
The roll-out for the full National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) begins on Friday.
The NDIS was launched in late 2012 with a promise of “equity of access” for all and a commitment to not repeat the mistakes of the past, especially involving people from non-English speaking backgrounds.
But the Federation of Ethnic Communities’ Councils of Australia (FECCA), the nation’s peak multicultural body, is disappointed with preparations for the NDIS so far.
“We find still lots of disabled people from non-English speaking backgrounds that don't even know about NDIS,” Joe Caputo, chair of FECCA said.
“It's very disappointing that they haven't delivered as much as they should have delivered.”
FECCA describes the NDIS as one of its “core areas of work, in view of its significant importance”.
The latest quarterly report to March from the federal agency responsible for the NDIS, known as the NDIA, said “overall 4.2 per cent of participants with approved (NDIS) plans are classified as culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD), which is below expected levels”.
About 20 per cent of Australia’s population is from non-English speaking countries according to Australian Bureau of Statistics figures.
The introduction of the NDIS came after a Productivity Commission inquiry in 2011 into disability services.
“It found that generally the disability services were underfunded, fractured, unfair and really needed a major overhauled and it was as a result of that inquiry that we have the NDIS,” said Maureen Fordyce, manager of AMPARO Advocacy for people from non-English speaking backgrounds with disability.
“Many people have missed out on support for many years and are very excited about the prospects of this new scheme which will hopefully meet their needs.”
Federal and state governments gave bi-partisan support for NDIS in 2012 in the Intergovernmental Agreement for the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).
It stated the NDIS would “ensure equity of access by addressing the needs of people in regional and remote Australia and people from Indigenous and culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds”.
Three years of trials of NDIS involving 24,800 people has shown a 5.5 per cent participation for Aboriginal and Torres Strait people, when they make up 3.3 per cent of Australia’s population.
Stakeholders blame poor communication targeting CALD communities by the NDIS agency.
“I think information is one of the key points, through ethnic media and newspapers, as well as working with the ethnic agencies,” Mr Caputo said.
More than three years since the launch and less than a week before the national roll-out begins, the NDIS still has no CALD strategy in place.
“That is definitely not appropriate,” Mr Caputo said.
“Without a proper, strong (CALD) strategy that ensures that you assist disabled people from non-English speaking backgrounds, then you are going to have a really low participation rate in NDIS.”
AMPARO Advocacy is a member of the NDIS agency’s CALD advisory board.
“The CALD strategy that the NDIA has developed is still really in draft form, we're hoping that will be made available by early July,” Ms Fordyce said.
“I don’t know the NDIA has given the attention that it needs to give to providing access to people with disabilities from CALD backgrounds, particularly looking at the trial sites.
“It would have made sense to do more of this before the national roll-out. I think we’re playing catch-up.”
AMPARO has particular concerns with information available on the NDIS website.
“If English isn't your first language, you'd find it extremely difficult to find information from this website,” Ms Fordyce said.
“It’s extremely difficult, almost impossible, to find out how to contact an interpreter on the NDIS website.”
Service providers are frustrated too that they have not seen a strategy yet.
“They need to get their CALD engagement plan sorted really quickly and they need to communicate that around the country so we're all working under the same framework,” Joanne Jessop from Multicap in Queensland said.
“They’ve made little progress to date around CALD communities.”
Multicap has a high proportion of staff and clients from non-English speaking backgrounds but is still working from the pre-NDIS, Queensland government framework.
“I don't really really know much about NDIS but I've heard quite a few things about it,” said Saki Yamaoka, who suffered a stroke as a child and co-manages Multicap’s Monte Lupo Cafe.
The NDIS agency declined to be interview due to the election caretaker period.
In a statement it said: “The National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) is acutely aware historic barriers continue to impact on how people with disability from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds access disability supports.
“The agency is working closely with CALD peak bodies to develop a CALD strategy, which will be released later this year, to ensure equity of access and outcomes for people with disability from CALD backgrounds," the statement said.
"The strategy will further guide the agency’s communication and engagement activities to help meet the needs of people from CALD backgrounds.
“It is expected that the CALD population will represent about 20 per cent of participants nationally at full scheme (2019-20).”
Stakeholders remain hopeful that eventually the NDIS will fulfill the “equity of access” pledge.
“I’m an eternal optimist," Mr Caputo said.
"I think we will continue to discuss with the NDIA about ways and means that the NDIS fully reflects our multicultural society.”
Service providers are equally hopeful.
“It’s not perfect now, but in 10 years time we might have it perfect when its fully formed, but the next three years is about sorting it out a bit at a time, knowing it will deliver something really good,” Ms Jessop said.
