CALL FOR MORE INDIGENOUS DISABILITY SUPPORT WORKERS
Metua Strickland.
A care professional in the Pilbara says more Indigenous people working in disability support are needed.
Empowering People in Communities (EPIC) project officer Metua Strickland told Ngaarda Media it's important to have Indigenous workers to care for the growing number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients on the National Disability Insurance Scheme.
“It is really important to ensure that we have on-the-ground Indigenous workers working within our communities, because no one else better understands how a community operates,” she said.
According to data from the National Disability Insurance Agency, 30,763 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people were receiving NDIS support in 2021, an increase of 259% on 2018 figures.
Ms Strickland, a Maori woman, said culturally appropriate training and education is key to building employment opportunities in the sector.
“I’m really passionate about Indigenous learning, and how our language, our connection to country and our culture should be the underpinning fundamental of everything we do in learning,” she said.
Listen to our interview with Ms Strickland.