The NDIA established the Cultural and Linguistic Diversity (CALD) Expert Advisory Group in 2024. The purpose of the CALD Expert Advisory Group (Advisory Group) is to provide knowledge and advice to the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA). The Advisory Group will support the NDIA to deliver improved experiences and outcomes for CALD people with disability when accessing and using the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).
The Advisory Group will share advice and guidance:
- to support implementation of the CALD Strategy Action Plan 2024-28 Cultural and Linguistic Diversity Strategy
- on NDIS reforms that impact CALD people with disability
- on other NDIA projects not covered by the CALD Strategy or reform, but where there is alignment to the CALD Strategy.
The advice provided by the Advisory Group will help the NDIA deliver outcomes in line with the CALD Strategy 2024-2028 (the CALD Strategy):
- increase access and participation in the NDIS for CALD communities
- increase use of NDIS plans by CALD participants
- improve experiences with the NDIS, including its processes, systems and staff, for CALD participants and communities.
Membership
Members of the Advisory Group must have lived experience or expert knowledge of people with disabilities from CALD communities. Members will have a diversity of experiences and backgrounds. This will allow different needs and perspectives of people with disabilities from CALD communities to be represented.
Current Members
- Alicia Rodriquez - Multicultural Disability Advocacy Association NSW (MDAA)
- Ange Boyd - Amparo Advocacy Inc
- Crystal Paniccia – Mental Health Australia (MHA)
- David Boden – TASC National
- Dina Petrakis – Ethnic Communities Services Co-Op (ECSC)
- Dr Amy Conley-Wright – Inclusion Australia
- Dr Cherry Baylosis – Disability Advocacy Network Australia (DANA)
- Dr Dinesh Wadiwel – Independent expert
- Dr Edwin Lourdes Joseph – Multicultural Council of the Northern Territory (MCNT)
- Dr Siyat Abdi – Kin advocacy
- Jane Endacott – NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission
- Julie Magill – Diversity and Disability Alliance (DDA)
- Kellie Chenoweth – Queensland Program of Assistance to Survivors of Torture and Trauma (QPASTT)
- Kit Yuan – Advocacy for Disability Access and Inclusion (ADAI) SA
- Mandi Watts - Settlement Services International (SSI)
- Mark Deverell – Welcome Cultural Services
- Mark Tonga – Independent Advisory Council (IAC) to the NDIS
- Maryanne Cosic - National Ethnic Disability Alliance (NEDA)
- Nikolaus Rittinghausen – Ethnic Communities' Council of Victoria (ECCV)
- Sam Muglia – People with Disability Australia (PWDA)
- Shirley Liu – Deaf Australia
- Shukrullah Sirat – Action on Disability within Ethnic Communities (ADEC)
- Sylvana Mahmic – Plumtree Children’s Services