Authors: Women With Disabilities Australia (WWDA), Harmony Alliance: Migrant and refugee women for change, and National Ethnic Disability Alliance (NEDA)
Across Australia, there is a lack of information and disaggregated data on the experiences of CaLD women and girls with disabilities within Australian society. Importantly, there are growing appeals for research that analyses how gender, disability, race, ethnicity, culture, language, visa status, and citizenship status intersect. Recognising this gap, WWDA, NEDA and Harmony Alliance combined efforts in 2022 to examine the experiences of CaLD women and girls with disability (WGwD) when accessing formal supports, and the impacts of gender, disability, race, ethnicity, culture, language, visa status, and citizenship status. Broadly, the project focused on how CaLD WGwD experience access to support services in the health and disability sectors, and barriers that they face. Due to its timing, the project also provided insight into the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on the ability of CaLD women to access formal support and services.
Acknowledgements
Women With Disabilities Australia (WWDA), Harmony Alliance and the National Ethnic Disability Alliance (NEDA) acknowledge the traditional owners of the land on which this publication was produced. We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people’s deep spiritual connection to this land. We extend our respects to community members and Elders past, present and emerging.
This document was prepared by Georgia Scott for and on behalf of WWDA, NEDA and Harmony Alliance, with significant contributions from Bridgette Charalambou (WWDA’s research placement student), and members of the WWDA, NEDA and Harmony Alliance teams.
This report was partly funded by WWDA, through the funding it receives from the Australian Government, Office for Women (OFW) as part of the National Women’s Alliances (NWA’s) program. WWDA acknowledges and thanks the OFW for its support.
Formatting, editing and design by Chai Oonnankat (Harmony Alliance).