By Neena Bhandari
Sydney, 20.12.2021 (Hireup): June Riemer, a proud Gumbaynggirr Dunghutti woman and Deputy CEO of First Peoples Disability Network has led national campaigns for better, more inclusive and culturally appropriate access to the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) for her people. She speaks to me about why Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with a disability face numerous barriers in accessing and navigating the NDIS and what measures can be taken to ensure they receive culturally appropriate supports.
“The NDIS wasn’t designed culturally, whether that’s for the First Nations people or the culturally and linguistically diverse community,” says Riemer, who won the 2021 NSW Aboriginal Woman of the Year award in recognition of her four decades of advocacy for Indigenous people with a disability.
“Culturally, given Australia’s history and the fact that we weren’t even citizens till 1967, having a disability within our communities is not any different because everyone’s at a disadvantage. This is a good thing because disability is not seen as a deficit, but it’s about caring and supporting someone, who might need more help, for example, with walking or communicating,” she adds.