Indigenous people with Disabilities

A recent government services report (Report on Government Services 2008 - Indigenous Compendium) states that 2 in 5 or 40% of Indigenous Australians have a disability.

Another distinguishing feature is the significant number of Indigenous people with disabilities living in remote areas where there are least services as demonstrated by the 2007 NT Disability Services Review.

The challenge of making disability services responsive to the needs of Indigenous people has been addressed in a West Australian resource called ‘Getting Services Right’.

There have been a number of reports into Indigenous disability including the 2000 Report on the establishment of a National Indigenous Disability Network which made numerous recommendations that still require action. With the dissolution of ATSIC and moves to ‘mainstream’ Indigenous services Indigenous people lack a strong voice to represent them. For instance, looking at the members of the Australian Federation of Disability Organisations (AFDO), the National Indigenous Disability Network has withdrawn as the only member expected to participate solely through voluntary effort with no paid staff or secretariat.

There are some Indigenous disability networks operating at a state level including:
* The Aboriginal Disability Network NSW
* The WA Indigenous Disability Network IndigAbility
* The QLD ATSI Disability Network

People With a Disability NSW also continue to support the development of a National Indigenous Disability Network.

The Cooperative Research Centre in Aboriginal Health is a useful source of information and occasional creative projects.

In 2008 the Australian Government held public consultations about a proposed Indigenous Representative Body. Arts Access Australia’s submission can be read: here.

Arts and Indigenous Disability

Arts income is one of the few sources of earnt income for many individuals and communities.

Anecdotally, given the high levels of disability prevalence among Indigenous people, it is common for Indigenous artists to have disabilities though examples of specific programs and individuals can be difficult to find. This difficulty can also relate to different cultural understandings and concepts of disability. In particular there is a lack of participatory research that involves Indigenous people as partners in the process and integral to delivering outcomes based upon their identified needs.

DADAA WA has used collaborative creative processes to develop two resource publications:

Looking After Yourself, Looking After Family: An Indigenous Disability Advocacy Handbook provides Step by Step Information to assist Indigenous People with disabilities, their families and carers to SPEAK UP for themselves and access the services they need.

Getting The Help You Need: A Disability Services Directory For Indigenous People provides a directory to Western Australian Disability Services and Service Organisations as well as useful information about Disabilities and Mental Health.

Access Arts QLD will run specific Indigenous Arts and Disability Programs with a Mental Health focus from 2009 – 2012

Mwerre Anthurre is an Alice Springs based arts and disability studio featured in Arts Access Australia’s 2005 publication Making The Journey. You can download the pdf version of the feature story here and the html version here.

Contact:
artscoordinator@bindicentasales.com
PO Box 2780 (47 Elder St) Alice Springs NT 0871
T (08) 8952 7277
F (08) 8952 3747

Ngaruwanajirri is a Bathurst Island (NT) studio where people with and without disabilities produce art.

Contact:
Ngaruwanajirri Group
T (08) 8978 3724
The Keeping House
Bathurst Island NT 0822

Dion Beasley is a Tennant Creek based artist whose work is available for sale from his cheeky dogs website. A selection of Dion’s works on paper are ‘on tour’ from 2009 – 2011 with support from Artback NT. See also www.artbacknt.com.au/base.html.

In 2004 ABC TV’s Message Stick program ran a feature on John Macumba who is a founder of the Central Australian Aboriginal Media Association (CAAMA) and produced the Everyday Brave series celebrating Indigenous Australians. See also www.screenaustralia.gov.au/showcases/8478/bios.asp.

Singer songwriter Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunipingu has had national and international success with his debut self titled album Gurrumul.

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