Advocating for Diverse Groups

Everyone has the right to be supported. ADA Australia embraces inclusivity and welcomes and encourages clients from diverse age groups, genders and abilities, cultural backgrounds, sexualities and religious or spiritual beliefs.

We also know that people from diverse backgrounds can experience additional barriers to accessing support or speaking up for their rights and needs.

As an organisation we focus on inclusive practice and addressing these imbalances.

People from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds

ADA Australia celebrates diversity this is reflected through our diverse team of advocates from many different cultures.

Ensuring that our team reflects the richness and diversity of our local communities enhances our ability to connect, empathise and create better outcomes for you, our clients.

Advocacy provides support to help you express your wishes and speak up for your rights and needs. An ADA Australia advocate is an impartial person who can listen to your situation and help you to resolve issues

Access to interpreters

People have the right to receive information in a way they understand, which includes the right to interpreting services.

Free access to language translation services is available to everyone through the Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS National).

If you need an interpreter to talk with us phone 131 450.

It’s also important when you need to talk with your service provider or others that you have access to independent interpreters, not just family and friends. ADA Australia uses the TIS National service to coordinate free interpreters for you.

We also have information about aged care advocacy services in over 40 different languages. Available in Resources.

People in the LGBTI community

ADA Australia is a safe and inclusive service for the LGBTI community, and we warmly welcome LGBTI individuals to access our advocacy support services. We understand that many LGBTI people, especially older people, have experienced violence, stigma and discrimination throughout their lives and the barriers this has made for accessing services. Understanding these challenges, we are committed to providing a compassionate and respectful environment where you can freely navigate and raise any issues you are experiencing. ADA Australia are proud members of Pride in Health and Wellbeing as well as the Welcome Here Project.

Dementia friendly

Everyone, including people living with dementia, has a right to be included in decisions about their life, and every effort should be made to support you to make your decisions.

ADA Australia has developed its first Dementia-Friendly Action Plan and has begun the process towards becoming a Dementia-Friendly Organisation.

Dementia-friendly organisations are businesses or other organisations that want to make changes to their operations, procedures and environment to better meet the needs of people with living dementia.

Our community legal service, ADA Law, also specialises in supporting people living with cognitive impairments, or who have their capacity questioned, with guardianship and administration matters, including representation at the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal (QCAT).

Support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people

ADA Australia has dedicated Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander advocates to support older people and people with disability from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, and ADA Australia advocates are trained in cultural awareness and sensitivity.

For people with disability, we are host to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Disability Network of Queensland (ATSIDNQ), a support network.

ADA Australia also acknowledges the history, struggles and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Australia and is committed to Reconciliation.

Resources

ADA Australia offer a large collection of resources. Go to ADA Australia Resources for helpful downloads.Information about aged care advocacy in 46 languages.

Translating and Interpreting Service
www.tisnational.gov.au

Queensland Multicultural Resource Directory
https://www.qld.gov.au/community/your-home-community/groups-in-your-community/multicultural-resource-directory

Multicultural Affairs Queensland
https://www.des.qld.gov.au/multicultural-affairs

Federation of Ethnic Communities’ Councils of Australia (FECCA)
www.fecca.org.au

LGBTIQ+ Health Australia
www.lgbtiqhealth.org.au