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Disability Inclusion

9/05/2022 - Vanessa Papastavros - Disability and Democracy in Contemporary Multicultural Australia

The accessibility of the ballot box reflects whether our democracy is truly built on equality and fairness. Those at the greatest risk of being excluded from voting are people with disabilities, especially if they experience additional barriers of language and culture.

The Speak My Language (Disability) program has produced a series of interviews to help educate members of our multicultural communities about accessible voting.

  • Read more about Disability and Democracy in Contemporary Multicultural Australia

1/10/2021 - Vanessa Papastavros - So, what is psychosocial disability exactly?

Psychosocial disability is often misunderstood and rarely discussed, despite 1.1 million Australians experiencing it. As our attention turns to these issues during October, as we mark Mental Health Month, it’s worth digging deeper into psychosocial disability to better understand it.

 

  • Read more about So, what is psychosocial disability exactly?

28/07/2021 - Vanessa Papastavros - The Power of the Brisbane 2032 Paralympics

While we celebrate our Australian Paralympians for their athletic excellence, they also play an important part in reshaping society’s attitudes towards disability. The Paralympic Games run parallel to the Olympic Games, showcasing unique events on a unique sporting landscape specifically created for people with a disability. 

  • Read more about The Power of the Brisbane 2032 Paralympics

7/07/2021 - Vanessa Papastavros - Interview: Fashion For Ability – Not Disability

Fashion is its own kind of language. The way we dress and express ourselves through our fashion choices helps us communicate our personal style, identity and culture to the rest of the world. One new business in the Illawarra region is expanding the world of fashion to make sure that local women living with a disability can build their self-esteem, confidence and individual expression through their clothes and accessories.

  • Read more about Interview: Fashion For Ability – Not Disability

16/06/2021 - Vanessa Papastavros and Teresa de Leon - Shifting Attitudes Towards Disability in our Diverse Communities

At the heart of living well is a universal need to be accepted, to belong and to feel personally fulfilled.  

We recently interviewed sixteen people who live with a range of disabilities, as well as carers or front-line workers, from ethnic communities across New South Wales. We wanted to understand what living well with a disability means from a culturally diverse perspective. Those who participated in the survey were from Vietnamese, Chinese, Arabic, Indian, Filipino, Nepali, West African and East African backgrounds.

  • Read more about Shifting Attitudes Towards Disability in our Diverse Communities

2/06/2021 - Vanessa Papastavros - Don't Forget Disability in Fashion Diversity

This week, Australia has launched the first live fashion week the world has seen since February 2020. It has put diversity back into the spotlight, with advocates pushing for greater representation in the race, age, weight and gender expression of the fashion models participating. 

However, even within these discussions of diversity, disability is left out of the conversation.

  • Read more about Don't Forget Disability in Fashion Diversity

27/05/2021 - Vanessa Papastavros - National Reconciliation Week

National Reconciliation Week (May 27, 2021 – June 3, 2021) is a time for all Australians to learn about the history, culture and achievements of Indigenous Australians. It is also an opportunity for us to come together with a shared commitment for reconciliation.

 

  • Read more about National Reconciliation Week

21/05/2021 - Vanessa Papastavros - 5 International Films About Disability You Have to See

When media representation of disability is done well, it can challenge stereotypes, shift social perceptions and empower people who would otherwise not see their stories on the screen. Here are five international films in languages other than English that explore disability.

 

Each film depicts universal themes within the subjectivities of their cultural context. Whether you watch them in-language or put on those English subtitles, these foreign films will be sure to leave an impact.

  • Read more about 5 International Films About Disability You Have to See

20/05/2021 - Vanessa Papastavros - 5 Ways To Make Your Social Media More Accessible

5 Ways To Make Your Social Media More Accessible

For the more than one billion people living with disabilities, the online world is a place to foster community and connection that might not be available offline. 

While social media is an incredible tool for participation, our digital spaces have a long way to go before they are accessible for everyone.

  • Read more about 5 Ways To Make Your Social Media More Accessible

19/05/2021 - Vanessa Papastavros - Lost in Translation: Disability in Different Languages

Our beliefs about disability are shaped by the culture we come from and the language we speak. In a multicultural society like Australia, our rich cultural diversity complicates cross-cultural understandings of disability. In 2016, there were over 300 languages spoken in Australian homes, with more than one-fifth of Australians speaking a language other than English at home. While services attempt to keep up with this demand by providing information in different languages, there are cultural nuances that are often lost in translation.

 

  • Read more about Lost in Translation: Disability in Different Languages
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We acknowledge the traditional custodians of all the lands on which we meet, work and live and recognise that this land has always been and always will be Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander land.
© 2020, Speak My Language, Ethnic Communities' Council of NSW