Intersectional discrimination forcing Indigenous Australians with disabilities to avoid essential services
Researchers from Western Sydney University and The University of Melbourne have released findings that outlines greater social inequality and intersectional discrimination, particularly when accessing essential services e.g. healthcare, education, employment and legal representation for First Nations Australians living with disabilities.
The report, published by the Australian Social Policy Association through the Australian Journal of Social Issues (AJSI) reveals that 42% of disabled Indigenous people aged 15-64 experience a high level of racist and ableist vilification in these settings, compared to 11% of those without a diagnosed disability, impairment, illness or chronic disease.
It recommends that to shift statistics and improve outcomes targeting life trajectories interwoven to unconscious bias and poor engagement in cultural competency from service providers, government authorities need to introduce policies and programs that addresses racially motivated discrimination outright, provides more community support and sets the agenda to expose situations of social disadvantage and interpersonal racism and ableism.