CALD stands for “culturally and linguistically diverse”. The CALD participants are defined as “those who were either not born in Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Ireland, the United States of America, Canada, or South Africa, and/or where the primary language is spoken at home is not English.”

Australian government and its agencies are aware of the additional need for accurate, representative and valid data on CALD communities. Each year, a variety of terms like country of birth, first and second language, religious affiliation, cultural preferences etc are being added to the Australian census data. The Census captures the true picture of an Australia society rich in CALD communities.

The underutilization of disability supports and services is a major issue in CALD communities. Many issues that prevent these communities from accessing are cultural (e.g., stigmas associated with disabilities) as well as modernization gaps such as: low literacy levels, easier access to services for identifying problems, and lack of knowledge about the benefits that these services can provide.

Through collaborative efforts and by providing holistic assistance to our participants, we try to remove the barriers that stand in their way from achieving health and well-being. We do this by promoting cultural sensitivity and education, encouraging advocacy and representation from their own culture, and developing culturally appropriate programs.