Overcoming ‘Double Disadvantage’ Through Advocacy
For too long, the voices of people with disabilities in remote communities have been left out of the national conversations. In towns and cities, advocacy networks have been supported but in the NPY lands, distance, language barriers and cultural differences have meant people face a double disadvantage.
The NPY Women’s Council is working to change this. Through the Tjungu team, we have partnered with Inclusion Australia and the SA Council of Intellectual Disability to bring culturally appropriate, workshop-based self-advocacy programs into the bush.
These programs are about more than information; they are about power. They help people with disability in remote communities to:
- Speak up about their disability and their needs
- Understand their rights, and what to do if those rights are not upheld
- Raise issues that matter most to people with disability in the context of remote Australia of Anangu with disabilities in remote central Australia
By investing in advocacy, NPY Women’s Council is ensuring that people with disability in the NPY Lands are not left behind. Their voices are being heard, and these voices will help shape the understanding, care and needs of Anangu with disabilities in remote central Australia.
