To date 45% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are living with a disability or long-term health condition. Despite the many services available, there seems to be a sense of anxiety within the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities when accessing support from services. Due to this, many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are not receiving the care and support they need.
In light of this, we created the Lend a Hand Initiative, which aims to assist services to become more inclusive of people with a disability who identify as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander.
We are developing and implementing the initiative in consultation with local Elders, key community leaders and key services, by:
- encouraging and supporting services to subscribe to the initiative
- providing services with a charter of the initiative’s core values and a sticker that identifies them as a member
- providing helpful links and information about local training and resources, which will support services on their journey to becoming culturally inclusive and welcoming for people with a disability.