Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Support

At abbaCare, we genuinely understand and assist in supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander supports, families and communities to be involved and able to access the information, support and funding available via the NDIS network. As of March 2016, nearly 30,000 people with disabilities were participating in NDIS trial sites, around 5% of them Indigenous however it is reported that 45% of Indigenous Australians aged 15 years and over said they had experienced a disability, and nearly 8% needed assistance with core activities (such as self-care or mobility) some or all of the time.

The underlying problem with the limited inclusion numbers is access to and availability of information. abbaCare staff members participate in cultural competency training so that we can work productively and respectfully alongside Indigenous people assisting with the initial enquiry and all processes required to fully access the system and all of the assistance and support required.

We have employed Indigenous staff members, and we continue to work with and value the guidance and advice from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

When working with Indigenous people, we proactively work with the individual and their whole family and provide support & encouragement that is aimed at empowering and building their capacity to engage with service providers.

We promote activities offering individual sessions with an Indigenous liaison worker.

We work with individuals, families, communities and mainstream services to promote  access to services and inclusion for people with disability from indigenous backgrounds.